By Tom Creighton – Winnipeg, Man.
My grandkids call me Papa. I’m celebrating my 80th birthday this year by completing a “virtual walk across Canada” – from Vancouver to Halifax – with the goal of raising $100,000 badly needed funds for Special Olympics Manitoba.
What would prompt someone my age to undertake this kind of challenge? I used to be a runner, and after more than 30 years of running on hard surfaces, I had a good cardiovascular system and bad arthritis in both feet. Though I can no longer run, I can still walk, and I walk a lot!
I’m an early riser, and most days, I don’t have anyone to talk to during my walk, which means I end up with lots of time to think. During one of my 2-1/2 hour walk/think sessions last year, it occurred to me there might be a way to leverage what I was already doing to generate money for a worthwhile cause. That’s where the idea of walking across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax originated.
An easy decision
For a brief moment, I had thought of actually walking the roads and highways, but the logistics of making that work quickly put an end to the idea and the project reverted back to a “virtual” journey.
Which cause to support was an easy decision for me. I’m the very proud grandfather of a Special Olympics athlete, Brett. I know from firsthand experience the amazing work the organization does. I also know the constant struggle they face to find funding for their programs.
Although Special Olympics programs focus on sport and fitness, they are much more than that. The movement’s true power lies not only in its ability to create change in the lives of the children, youth, and adults registered in their programs, but also in the communities in which they live.
For people with an intellectual disability, Special Olympics is often the only place where they have an opportunity to develop a strong belief in themselves; they begin to see themselves differently.
As a spokesperson for Special Olympics, my grandson Brett is a shining example of the success of their programs.
Virtual walk started New Year’s Day
Covid-19 created the perfect storm for them. At the same time the pandemic was causing traditional sources of funding to shrink or even dry up completely, it was also forcing Special Olympics to find creative ways of delivering their programs under the restrictions. Not surprisingly, the program changes came with a significant increase in costs.
The options were, and continue to be, simple: either find new sources of funding or cut programs and support to the athletes. While the first option was likely going to be difficult, the second option was unacceptable to me, so here I am.
My virtual walk started Jan. 1 and will end sometime in December after a distance of 2,761 miles, or 4,434 kilometres. At time of writing this story on Aug. 19, I’ve walked approximately 1,800 miles (3,000 km) and raised a little over $63,000.
The irony is that other than a few new aches and pains, the physical walk is turning out to be the easy part. The real challenge will be reaching my goal of $100,000.
You can follow along on my adventure at papaswalk.ca and click on the Papa’s Blog link to my weekly blog.
