Take It In Strides Suicide Prevention Run
By Abigail Heron
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth and young adults in the country according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. It invades the lives of almost everyone in some form or another—you might know someone lost to suicide or struggling with suicidal ideation, or you might experience those thoughts yourself. Yet, we tend to fear the word “suicide,” and shield ourselves with euphemisms or with silence altogether, which only contributes to its stigmatization and further perpetuating the deadly cycle. But what happens when we come together as a community to wade through our grief—not sinking comfortably into denial, but traversing the tempest of reality in strides?
“[At last year’s inaugural run] this lady came up to me and she was absolutely bawling,” says Connor Remus, co-founder of the Take It In Strides Suicide Prevention Run. “Her son took his own life a year ago, and [she said] she’d been waiting a whole year for an event like this to happen—not even just for the community to get together, but something that she could channel her own emotions through.” Remus started the race in the wake of the passing of his dear friend Joey Deschamps, as he had taken to running to cope with his loss. He hopes that as grief demands a witness, uniting those caught in its storm will not only bring catharsis, but show those struggling with thoughts of suicide there is a supportive community available to them.
Registrants have the option to partake remotely, or in a five- or 10-kilometre run or a three-kilometre walk around Boulevard Lake, with children under 12 participating for free. At the start and finish line will be a memorial wall made up of photos of those lost to suicide, submitted through the event’s website. This year, the Canadian Mental Health Association Thunder Bay Chapter will host a spaghetti dinner the night before the run, featuring public speakers and conversation around mental health. “It’s just a kick-ass event that we want everybody to show up to, everybody to support, and everyone’s welcome,” says Remus about the race that raised $50,000 last year. “Walk, run, laugh, share stories, and cry. All that is exactly what this is meant to be.”
Proceeds from the Take It In Strides Suicide Prevention Run, which takes place on Septemer 8, go to the Candian Mental Health Association and the Children’s Centre Foundation Thunder Bay. To register as an individual or team for this event, visit takeitinstridesrun.com.
