She plans to run 100 kilometres in a single day, from Ottawa to her hometown of Hawkesbury, to raise funds for mental health charities. She is dedicating the run to her father, Guy Lavigne, who passed away from mental health issues when she was only 10 years old.
The run will start at 3 a.m. on October 10, at Lavigne’s residence in Ottawa’s South Keys. She’ll run down Innes Road, through Cumberland, and then down County Road 17 into Hawkesbury.
“I want to stay on the roadways, just to attract more attention and light to the run,” she said.
Running 100 kilometres in one day is a huge task, but she hopes that with the support of friends and family, she’ll be able to make it. She’s also looking for sponsors to provide food, water, and most importantly, shoes.
“I’ve gone through a lot of shoes,” she laughs. “I’ve been training since March, running five times a week. It’s teaching me how much my body can do when my mind believes in it. It’s been a pretty amazing experience.”
Lavigne will be taking 20-minute breaks every 12 to 20 kilometres so she can rest, refuel, and post updates to her Facebook page.
“We will have checkpoints along the way, which I will post about so that people can come out there and cheer me on to give me that extra boost to keep going.”
She hopes to reach Hawkesbury by 7 p.m., where she will finish the run at her father’s grave.
“He was bi-polar – he suffered and fought for many, many years,” said Lavigne, who believes her father will be accompanying her on the run. “I know he would be proud.”
Her GoFundMe page has a goal of $10,000, which will be donated to various charities to combat ongoing socioeconomic issues that affect mental health. It had already reached $1,606 as of August 24. To view or donate go to: www.gofundme.com/f/fight-4-the-light-100k-run.
