S.L.A.P. Update
The Raft Ride Home – fifth and final leg – 24km
The leg boasts a net elevation change of over 2500ft. It will probably will be completed in darkness; the trail is under a heavy canopy of trees so eye protection is mandatory. The ferryman is paid for the racer to cross the river Styx (Hell’s gate); the Death Racer then finishes at the town centre of Grande Cache.
Leg 5 runner: Lynne Mason
Not being what one might call athletic, I’ve never attempted anything like this. I am active, but my downfall is that I am easily bored. I find the long runs in my schedule very boring now and am splitting my training time between the gym and the road.
I am a school bus driver (for my sins), a full-time Mum of three boys, and with keeping a large house in order, ferrying around my boys and all the other things a Mother and wife has to do, it’s hard to fit all the training in. There are days I really wish I had not agreed to do this. There is a lesson: NEVER drink Tequila with Kim or you’ll agree to do insane things like run up and down mountains! That is essentially how the idea began: Kim ran solo last year and on the way back from Grande Cache we sat around the campfire celebrating her 58km marathon with a small bottle of Tequila. I stupidly mentioned that I wouldn’t mind doing part of the race and that was taken as law! The next thing I knew I was running and running and running!
Although the training is hard, I truly believe in what we are doing and this keeps me going. To raise $100,000 for Eagle Women’s Emergency Shelter is our ultimate goal, but since starting this adventure I have learned so much. There are many people in the world in desperate need of help and in terrible danger. Most have no idea how to escape their frightening situations and some even believe this is how their life is meant to be lived. I hope we will educate more people about their rights and help them to lead normal, safe lives for themselves and their children. No one should suffer with domestic violence. No child should ever be a victim, or witness it. Everyone has the right to a safe, happy life, and no one should live in fear of hearing a key in the lock or a car stopping outside their home. We have received a huge amount of support from our local community and are extremely grateful. I know that along with the community support, and the support that we the racers give each other, we will complete this monster of a race and be victorious in the battle against domestic violence.
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We are five normal, everyday ladies, all mums and two grandmothers, in training for this year’s Canadian Death Race, a gruelling endurance race of 125km spanning over 24 hours and covering three mountains in Grande Cache, Alberta.
Why would we put ourselves through this? To raise money for Eagle Women’s Emergency Shelter in the Foothills of Alberta, raise awareness, and help stamp out domestic violence. We have never tried anything like this but feel very strongly that domestic violence is out of control and needs to be addressed. Now.
It’s a frightening fact that almost everyone knows someone who has been a victim of either physical or mental domestic abuse. We believe that increased exposure can help make victims aware that there are numbers they can call for help, and there is no need to suffer any longer. We also feel that domestic abuse and violence is a taboo subject that no one likes to acknowledge and this needs to change. Victims feel humiliated and ashamed and we need to let them know it is ok to talk to someone and to get help.
We are now in full training for the race, and although before this all any of us had ever run was a bath and a temperature, we are determined to do as much as we can to help stop domestic violence. This is a very hard and gruelling race, but with the help and support from each other we hope to complete it and to raise as much money as possible for the shelter. If our hard work only helps one person get out of a frightening situation and gives them the strength to rebuild their life, then it will all have been worth it. Our team name is SLAP – Stop Letting Abuse Prevail. We have a team website with photos and information on each runner and about the shelter: http://www.runforsafety.bravehost.com
We hope you will support us in our quest to stop domestic violence. The race takes place on the August long weekend, beginning Saturday the 5th at 8am and ending Sunday the 6th at 8am. Only 19 weeks to go!!! AU student, mother and death-racer, Kim Anderson.
