There is nothing quite like sitting on a stinky port-a-potty the morning after having walked 33km and sleeping in a cold tent to discover you need a tampon. Upon exiting I informed my teammates I needed to stop at a drug store en route. When they asked why I replied, "Well, the good news is I'm not pregnant." This didn't deter me from walking the remaining 27km. One nap, two feminine hygiene products and three painkillers worked wonders.
The walk is not a race but I started out quite well, keeping a brisk pace. Before lunch I slowed down to really enjoy the experience. I love long walks and I love Toronto. The Weekend to End Breast Cancer is the only time all year my schedule allows spending two days pounding the pavement without any distractions or obligations. My original goal was to keep pace with a speedy friend but I changed it. I stopped to enjoy the scenery, to soak in the atmosphere.
That could easily be the atmosphere soaked me. A steady rain fell on the second day of the walk. I didn't have a poncho or an umbrella so I used the ultra thin polymer warmth sheet a.k.a. one of those annoying as hell crinkly shiny things that retain body heat. I did not need to stay warm but it kept me dry. Anyone on the walk would remember for two things:
1) I did the walk in sandals
2) On Sunday I asked people if they would trade their ponchos for my sheet.
As we approached the downtown core I felt tired and entertained thoughts of quitting after walking past Princess Margaret Hospital. I was soaking wet, on the rag, and my sandals were squishy from the rain. The encouragement I needed came in the form of a human angel at the northwest corner of Church & Wellesley. A woman asked me if I was doing the walk. When I said yes she gave me her umbrella. I couldn't believe it. A total stranger just handed me her brollie. It wasn't just an umbrella. It was the kindness and support of someone I had never met and will likely never again meet. It was a sign that I could do it, I would do it.
I also had one of those weird childhood flashbacks. "The Courage of Sarah Noble" was a story I loved reading. The title character was a little girl wise beyond her years who would say "Keep up your courage Sarah Noble" when things got rough. If that little 8 year old could schlep through woods I could do this. One of my instructors gave me the word "commit" as a mantra. Instead of using it to get through on air assignments, I repeated it during the walk.
Just in case I needed another boost, the people lined up outside Princess Margaret provided that in spades. There was no way I could quit 5km from the finish line when cancer patients applauded me. Sometimes we need that kick in the metaphorical ass.
Someday we'll kick cancer's ass out of our lives but until that comes I'll be doing my small part one weekend per year.
P.S. - I still need to raise $300 so if you want to donate leave a message.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Amateur athletics in Canada gets very little recognition, and seemingly less funding.
In an Olympic year like 2008, that is inexcusable. Despite the national tendency to doom and gloom there is a glimmer of hope.
Canada’s better than expected showing at the Beijing Olympics, coupled with Chantal
Petitclerc’s three world records and five gold medals at this years Paralympics has
boosted interest in amateur athletics. It would be a good time to springboard that into some additional income.
There is a movement among Canadian municipalities to have the federal government
return 1% of GST or gas tax revenue to cities for infrastructure. A similar thing could be done for amateur sport.
Allocating 1% of the GST levied on pro sporting tickets to Canada's amateur athletes and organisations would be a win fall. According to a 2006 study by Forbes magazine, the average ticket price for a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game is $70.00 A single game at Air Canada Centre would generate $13 160.00 The Leafs’ 41 home games alone could bring in $539, 560.00
Factor in five more NHL teams, the CFL, AHL, and the Toronto Raptors that is a
significant, steady revenue source. The beauty of it is that there is already an established collection system in place. The current bureaucratic system would need minor shuffling to distribute the funds but that is far better than creating yet another government department that doesn’t know its assets from its tennis elbows.
This proposal is a win, win situation. Ordinary citizens don't have to pay extra, businesses don't lose any cash, and the government still gets a cut.
In an Olympic year like 2008, that is inexcusable. Despite the national tendency to doom and gloom there is a glimmer of hope.
Canada’s better than expected showing at the Beijing Olympics, coupled with Chantal
Petitclerc’s three world records and five gold medals at this years Paralympics has
boosted interest in amateur athletics. It would be a good time to springboard that into some additional income.
There is a movement among Canadian municipalities to have the federal government
return 1% of GST or gas tax revenue to cities for infrastructure. A similar thing could be done for amateur sport.
Allocating 1% of the GST levied on pro sporting tickets to Canada's amateur athletes and organisations would be a win fall. According to a 2006 study by Forbes magazine, the average ticket price for a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game is $70.00 A single game at Air Canada Centre would generate $13 160.00 The Leafs’ 41 home games alone could bring in $539, 560.00
Factor in five more NHL teams, the CFL, AHL, and the Toronto Raptors that is a
significant, steady revenue source. The beauty of it is that there is already an established collection system in place. The current bureaucratic system would need minor shuffling to distribute the funds but that is far better than creating yet another government department that doesn’t know its assets from its tennis elbows.
This proposal is a win, win situation. Ordinary citizens don't have to pay extra, businesses don't lose any cash, and the government still gets a cut.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
My First "Hate" Mail
Other broadcasters warned me that it happens and I finally got to experience it first hand. I was a female sports scribe who made a mistake. I couldn't make it on air where it disappears, oh no, I had to go whole hog and make mine in print where it glared on the monitor. Thankfully, readers pointed it out to me, most in a polite and civil fashion. In case you were curious, yes, I do know that Jack Johnson played 74 games for the Los Angeles Kings last season. Yes, I know he is not in the minors. Yes, I know I had Dustin Brown on the second line. Yes, I did a poor job editing my work and accept full responsibility for the oversight.
A couple of readers seemed to think that the error was due to my estrogen levels. It was due to my being human; male or female we all screw up on occasion. Some readers thought that "women like you" are bad for "girls who desperately try to prove they know a man's game." One gave me the impression that I had no writing ability whatsoever and I "shouldn't even bother if that's the best you can do."
Guess what? It isn't the best I can do, but even with my estrogen levels I still have the balls to put my work out there and deal with the feedback. I will make mistakes and hopefully what I learn from them makes me better.
A couple of readers seemed to think that the error was due to my estrogen levels. It was due to my being human; male or female we all screw up on occasion. Some readers thought that "women like you" are bad for "girls who desperately try to prove they know a man's game." One gave me the impression that I had no writing ability whatsoever and I "shouldn't even bother if that's the best you can do."
Guess what? It isn't the best I can do, but even with my estrogen levels I still have the balls to put my work out there and deal with the feedback. I will make mistakes and hopefully what I learn from them makes me better.
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