Day 21: A Convoy of Friends and the Wingard Ferry

55 km ran today; 1,019 km total

Day 21: Sunday, June 14th, 2026

Distance Today: 55 km
Total Distance Completed: 1,019 km
Projected Total Distance: 1,570 km
Progress: 64.9% complete
Remaining Distance: 551 km

I woke up after a warm night of camping in Shellbrook to another beautiful Saskatchewan day.

The temperature reached a high of 24°C and a steady breeze kept things pleasant throughout much of the run. Blue skies, green parkland, and quiet backroads made for a wonderful day to continue running south.

The morning began with a special reunion.

Lauren, one of my dear friends from my school days in Yorkton arrived to spend the day with our crew.

Lauren arrived bright and early from Yorkton to spend the day on the road with me. I don’t know how they did it, but Karen and Lauren gifted me a mug and put incredible stickers that highlight and perfectly capture key moments from this adventure so far. What a thoughtful gift!

Not long after, Curt and Cheryl arrived from Saskatoon bringing more cheer to start the day.

Curt and Cheryl joined the adventure for the day bringing smiles and treats. Cheryl has been baking and cooking up a storm and sending delicious food my way through this adventure. Curt was one of the earliest supporters of this adventure.

Before the running could begin, we drove back to pick up Gnome and Froggie from where I had hidden them at the end of yesterday's run.

Once we arrived back at the route, it was time to get moving.

My right shin had been bothering me, so Sandy carefully taped it before I started. Chad performed the role of attracting any nearby ticks away from Sandy and me while the taping was underway. (He found about 20 ticks on him. Only one tick managed to cling on to me - it snuck into my shoe).

Thankfully, Sandy's taping seemed to help right away. I was so thankful because moments earlier I was in quite a bit of pain and wasn’t feeling very optimistic.

Soon I was running down the road again surrounded by an entire convoy of friends and family.

Lauren and Karen cycled alongside me while Kallie drove support. Sandy drove Lauren's vehicle, and before long we settled into the rhythm of another day on Saskatchewan's backroads.

Lauren and Karen spent much of the day cycling alongside me. Curt paced me throughout the day and ran quite a few kilometres himself.

The morning miles passed quickly with plenty of company.

At one point I spotted what looked like a shortcut and decided to investigate.

It was paved but thankfully we found a gravel, country road that we were told was a dead end; it worked quite well for us.

Hard not to love running on a peaceful country road!

Along this country road, Chad and Brad met a kind local woman named Lori who filled our water jugs with fresh drinking water.

Acts of generosity like that continue to show up everywhere along this journey.

Later in the morning, two more familiar faces somehow managed to find our convoy despite the maze of rural roads.

Chandi and Jenna, my teaching partners from St. Michael School, arrived from Saskatoon ready to spend much of the day cycling and running alongside me.

Chandi and Jenna tracked us down and joined the adventure. They brought delicious food and infectious energy

Shortly after, my Auntie Mary Ann and my second cousin Bryce also found us on that road.

Bryce decided she wasn't content to simply watch and soon joined me for part of the run.

By this point our little group had grown into a wonderful mix of friends, family members, runners, cyclists, and supporters.

A very special day spent sharing miles with friends and family. Jenna (in the white) ran the furthest she’s ever ran today - go Jenna!

Kallie and Cheryl riding alongside me

By lunchtime I had completed 31 kilometres.

We stopped in the shade of my parents camper for lunch just before crossing the North Saskatchewan River aboard the Wingard Ferry.

Lunch was one of the highlights of the day.

Sandy made me a ‘bun-wich’ along with some noodles. I enjoyed Curt's homemade brownie, a cookie and fruit that Jenna brought. Chad also gave me some oysters with Ritz crackers to top up my iron.

It was nice to relax and escape the sun for a while with good friends.

After lunch it was time for one of the coolest parts of the day.

All aboard the historic Wingard Ferry!

We loaded onto the Wingard Ferry to cross the North Saskatchewan River.

Getting whisped across the river on the Wingard Ferry.

The river was running high and fast.

I loved every second of the ferry ride.

The cool breeze felt wonderful and I couldn't stop smiling as the ferry carried us across the water.

Photographer Dylan used a drone to capture this shot of the ferry.

The ferry crossing was also free.

What a service!

Learning a little history at the Wingard Ferry crossing.

We’re big fans of the Wingard Ferry.

The afternoon brought another stretch of running with friends taking turns pacing me on foot and by bicycle.

The sunshine was warm and the breeze remained pleasant.

At one point, Curt helped cool me off.

A nice little cool-down

Later in the afternoon Lauren, Karen, Kallie, Chandi, and Jenna all headed home after spending much of the day alongside me. Before leaving, we gathered for one final break together.

An afternoon break and saying thank you and good bye to an incredible group of supporters.

Curt and Cheryl stayed longer and continued pacing me through the afternoon.

Eventually Curt and Cheryl also headed home, leaving the final kilometres to Chad and me.

The last three kilometres were spent walking and talking together as the day slowly came to an end.

Along the way I also met a woman named Janet whose birthday had been the day before mine. We shared a nice conversation before continuing on our separate journeys.

As evening approached, I completed my 55th kilometre of the day and tucked Gnome and Froggie safely away for tomorrow's start.

Gnome and Froggie tucked safely away until tomorrow.

From there we made our way to Fort Carlton and settled into camp for the evening.

Camp for the night at historic Fort Carlton. Fort Carlton was a key fur-trade post and provisioning hub where Nêhiyawak (Cree), Saulteaux, Nakoda, Dene and Métis communities met and traded. It is also remembered as the site where Treaty No. 6 was signed in 1876.

Sources: Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations; Gabriel Dumont Institute; Government of Canada - Parks Canada news release.

For supper, we had taco in a bag and Joey's famous bush poutine made a triumphant return!

Prepared with love by Dad and Sandy, that poutine was exactly what I had been craving ever since Joey first served it up in northern Saskatchewan. It disappeared quickly.

Bush poutine is back! This is also one of the rare photos of my dad/crew chief, Brad. Brad and Sandy are so busy taking care of business and snapping photos that they aren’t in that many photos themselves. We had the same challenge getting photos of crew chief, Darryn.

After supper, my husband, Chad made his way back to Saskatoon.

For the next few days, Dylan will be sticking around capturing photos, videos, and pacing me.

I won’t lie, after having so many good friends come out to pace me, I’m a little nervous about running alone - what if I forget how?

I’m super grateful Dylan is sticking around to support and pace me.

As the sun set over Fort Carlton, I found myself reflecting on what a special day it had been.

The kilometres matter. But days like this remind me that the people who show up along the way are what make this journey unforgettable.

55 km today. 1,019 km completed.

64.9% complete.

551 km to the Saskatchewan-Montana border.

I am running the length of Saskatchewan in memory of my mom, Louise, who passed away from leukemia when she was 38 years old. Just a few days ago, on June 12th, I turned 38 myself.

When I started planning this run, I set an initial fundraising goal of $15,597. To my amazement, we reached that goal on Day 1 of this adventure.

My dream goal has been to raise $38,000 - a number chosen in honour of my mom and the age she was when she passed.

I was just told that together we have already raised $32,003.

I honestly don't know what to say except thank you.

Thank you to every person who has donated, shared a post, sent an encouraging message, offered a place to stay, waved from a vehicle, filled our water jugs, prepared food, joined me for some kilometres, served as crew-chief, or followed along from home. Every act of kindness has helped carry this project farther than I ever imagined.

Research continues to improve outcomes for people facing blood cancers. Communities continue to rally around families during difficult times.

Thank you for believing in this project and for all your support.

Together, we're getting closer to that $38,000 goal with every step.

Thank you!