The First Steps South: 45 Km
Day 1 — May 25
Posted one day behind the run.
Camp set up for night 1 of the run near Wapita Lake
We started at 9:00 a.m. on the bank of the Fond du Lac River, the farthest north point we could reach. Next we went to Stony Rapids School where students welcomed me to their pancake breakfast, had posters made to celebrate the run, and did a big countdown to start the run! I even had some new friends to run alongside me for about 1 km!
I ran partway toward Black Lake, then we marked the spot and drove into the community to spend time at the school and meet the Band Chief and councillors.
Some amazing drummers sent us off when I started running. My brother, Matthew, had made some friends working in this area.
I’m so thankful the Dene community of Black Lake was willing to create such a beautiful send off!
In total, I ran 45 kilometers today.
The day was close to perfect for running: sunny, with white clouds, a light breeze off the ice-covered lakes, and comfortable temperatures.
A long-sleeve sun shirt with a hood was exactly right.
The route was mostly flat, with a few runnable hills and some walking. The gravel and packed sand were really good underfoot.
We saw two bears, two caribou, two swans, snowshoe hares, and spruce grouse.
We also had so many great interactions along the way, from the teachers and students at Stoney Rapids to the Dene community at Black Lake, plus all the people in passing vehicles who got a big wave.
It was a beautiful day to be running running outside! I am so happy to finally be running!
A quiet moment at the lake after the run.
One of the biggest moments was meeting the fundraising goal today and getting such incredible send-offs.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude for so many generous people donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! It feels surreal that we were able to reach our goal on day 1 of the run! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is especially meaningful to me because the cancer my mom had is now curable. That progress exists because of decades of work from researchers and the generosity of people who believed in this cause long before our family was affected.
We finished the day camping in the bush near Wapita Lake, with four of us settling in for the night.
Settling into camp near Wapita Lake after the first day.
I’m running the length of Saskatchewan in memory of my mom, Louise, and to raise money for leukemia research and support.
Thank you for your support and for following along!
