Why am I running for MitoCanada. For Kate, plain and simple.

Name:   Kelley Rabjohn

Occupation: Auditory Verbal Therapist

Previous Experience:   I have been running since I was 15. It started as a challenge in gym class, i.e. run 1 km every day for one month.  I completed that challenge and discovered that I enjoyed running. I prefer to run by myself., my only running buddy was my Dad.  I haven’t run with anyone else since I moved away from home many, many years ago!  Because I don’t like running with other people, I have avoided doing races. I have run only 3 races ever! (one 5k and two 10ks). I have never imagined that I could run further than 10k so challenging myself to a half marathon has been a big step for me.  I’m enjoying the feeling of pushing past barriers and I have been surprised at how anxious it has made me to do this.  It’s been a good lesson for me; a good reminder that moving past a comfort zone is hard work and I need to be sensitive to that in my work.

My Favorite Route:  My favorite running route is through the experimental farm and down the canal.  I like to run very early in the morning (so there are fewer people around) and sometimes I have the good fortune to see some wild animals. It’s quiet time that affords me the opportunity to think and ponder things while there are no other demands being made.

My Inspiration To Run: My father; he ran 10 – 15k several times/week until he was 78.  He is still a ski instructor at 80.  I want to grow up to be a fit as he is at his age!

Why am I running for MitoCanada: For Kate*; plain and simple.

* (Editor’s Note: Kate Drury suffers from an extremely rare form of mitochondrial disease. Her disease has resulted in profound deafness. Kelley is Kate’s auditory verbal therapist. She is teaching Kate to learn to listen and to someday speak.)

“MitoCanada’s mission to support and create a sense of community for patients and their families resonated with me. I knew that running for MitoCanada was what I was exactly looking for. By combining my passion for running long distances and being involved with Team MitoCanada, I hope to bring support and awareness for mitochondrial disease.” – Mevlut Kont

Name: Mevlut Kont

Occupation: Studying Finance at Haskayne School of Business, U of C

Previous Running Experience:  I was involved with my high school cross country team and after high school I participated in several local races. These races have fueled my passion in running and from that I am currently participating in ultra races. My favorite race to date is running the Iron Legs 50 miler in Kananaskis country. My plan for 2012 is to complete the full Alberta Ultra Series.

Your favourite running route:  My favourite running route is Nosehill Park in Calgary’s northwest. I consider Nosehill as my second home and where I am training all year long. It is a natural wildlife park, where there are ample amount of challenging and beautiful trails. The endless views of the grasslands, Rocky Mountains, and the Bow Valley River are inspiring and never get old.

What inspires you, motivates you and/or your favourite quote:
I have been an avid sports fan all of my life, but since volunteering for the Calgary Marathon has changed my life. As I cheered on the runners pushing themselves to their physical and mental limits it inspired me. I have been running ever since, the contagious nature of running challenges my limits at every race.

Why you are running for Team MitoCanada:
Running has given me an avenue to challenge my sense of personal and physical achievement, but I have been looking for meaningful cause to support. In the some of the races I participated in I have had the opportunity to watch Blaine Penny’s drive and motivation behind his passion for running. MitoCanada’s mission to support and create a sense of community for patients and their families resonated with me. I knew that running for MitoCanada was what I was exactly looking for. By combining my passion for running long distances and being involved with Team MitoCanada, I hope to bring support and awareness for mitochondrial disease.

Running challenges me every time I go out, whether I am trying to beat a time or trying to go further. I love the feeling of setting a goal and reaching it after lots of effort and hard work.

Hearing loss is a very prevalent symptom of mitochondrial disease. Meet Alexandra, an audiology student who learned about mitochondrial disease through her course work and in working with her patients. She’s running for Team MitoCanada Ottawa at Ottawa Race Weekend to help raise awareness for mitochondrial diseases.

Name: Alexandra

Occupation: Student, M.Sc.S. Audiology

Previous Running Experience:   I started running when I was in university. I ran the 5 km Terry Fox Run organized on campus for four years in a row. Last year I decided to try something different and trained for a sprint triathlon that I completed indoors. I participated in the Ottawa Terry Fox Run this fall, running 10km for my first time. This year I am excited to run the half-marathon! I can’t say I am an avid runner, but it is definitely growing on me.

Training for the half-marathon has been a lot of fun and I am hoping to run the half-marathon in Toronto this fall.

Your favorite running route:   I haven’t explored many of Ottawa’s routes unfortunately, but my go-to route is along the Rideau Canal. I do like this route a lot because the experience is never the same. Sometimes it can be busy with other runners and at other times it can be relatively quiet. The experience can also be quite different running during the day and at night. The canal really highlights Ottawa’s beautiful downtown and residential areas. I also like that I can easily manage my distances by splitting my route along the different bridges. I don’t know if I will ever get tired of the good old canal.

What inspires you to run:   What first inspired me to start running was the health benefit of being active. I have always been active, but university life definitely took a toll on my physique. After two years of not really paying attention to my diet, I finally took control and lost a significant amount of weight. I am proud to say that I have maintained my healthy new weight for the last 3 years (including a year in France where I was tempted by pasties on a daily basis).

Why you are running for Team MitoCanada:    What motived me to run for MitoCanada was meeting families affected by the disease and realizing the number of challenges they face every day. I had only heard of mitochondrial diseases in my science classes and I never grasped what it was until I met affected patients during my clinical work placements through my university program. I am completing my masters in audiology, a program that focuses on hearing sciences. Not surprisingly, I met a number of children with mitochondrial disease through a cochlear implant program. I finally saw the numerous effects of mitochondrial disease including hearing loss, which alone can be a major hurdle. I was amazed by the parents I met, who would go to any length to help their child. Having grown up with a brother with special needs, I can relate to the effort that goes into providing a child with everything they need and deserve. I hope that by running for MitoCanada I can bring awareness to the organization and help, in a small way, to this important cause.

We are 8 weeks away from Ottawa Race Weekend and it’s time for our 3rd Team MitoCanada Athlete Profile.  Meet Lisanne Brousseau, a marathon runner from Ottawa.

Lisanne Brousseau

Occupation: Human Resource Specialist – Canadian Blood Services

Previous Running Experience: I have been running now for over 15 years.  My favorite distance is the half-marathon. I recently just set a PR of 1:40 this past fall, qualifying me to run the New York City Marathon in November 2012.  My marathon PR is 3:46 from 2002 which I hope to break this year.

The highlight of my running career was qualifying for and running Boston, the year I turned 40!  When I started running, Boston was always a race that was my ultimate running goal but it seemed so far away and somewhat unattainable.  When I qualified I was thrilled to say the least.  It was goal that I never thought I would achieve.

I will be running the Marathon at Ottawa Race Weekend 2012.

Favorite Running Route: I run with a group of ladies most mornings.  On the weekend we do our long runs. One of my favorite running routes is from Westboro to the downtown core along the Rideau Canal and back along the river. It is approximately an 18km loop .  I love running along the canal and seeing all the different groups of people out doing their varied athletic activities.  Since I’ve been running for a number of years, I really enjoy seeing the increasing number of people out getting active. http://www.sunnysidechurchottawa.com/category/being-downtown/

What Inspires Me To Run: What motivates me and inspires me to get out and run has evolved over the years. When I first started running it was for fun. I joined a Learn to Run class through the Running Room and was hooked. I did the 10km class, 1/2 marathon class and then the marathon class. In the early running days it was more about achieving a distance or a time goal I had set for myself.  Fast forward a number of years and with 3 kids my motivation has changed. I now run for many different reasons. I am fortunate to have 3 healthy daughters. I run because I want them to be healthy and active, and realize how fortunate we are to be able to live an active life. They motivate me to continue the early morning runs.  With the support of some parent volunteers, I recently started a Kilometre Running Club at our local school. One of my greatest motivators to keep running is seeing 200 kids show up on a friday morning before school with a smile, ready to run laps around the yard. There is no prize, no medals, just running around the school yard with friends and being part of the “running” community.  I also run to maintain a balanced life. And finally, I really run now simply because I can and for those who can’t.   Getting out of bed most mornings at 5:30 AM  for a morning run is nothing compared to what some children who have Mitochondrial Disease deal with on a daily basis.

Why I Am Running for Team MitoCanada:  I met Julie (Drury) a few years ago through a mutual friend. We ran  together and I learned about her daughter Kate who has Mitochondrial Disease. I learned about their frequent visits to CHEO (The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario), tests, therapy visits, and her unpredictable daily life because of Kate’s illness.  I was, and continue to be amazed at how optimistic Julie is given the challenges she and her family face on a daily basis.  I can’t change her situation but by joining Team MitoCanada I can help raise awareness around this little known debilitating disease. I had never heard of  Mitochondrial Disease until Kate was diagnosed with it.  I am hoping my participation can help motivate others to get involved in not only raising awareness, but also funds to help families deal with the challenges of this disease.

Sarah Antonakos is a powerful mito-mom from Arnprior, Ontario. She is our second featured athlete profile for Team MitoCanada Ottawa.

The Canadian Try a Tri, in September 2011.

Name: Sarah Antonakos

Occupation: Program Officer, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Previous Running Experience:  2011 was my first year running and subsequently competing in races. I completed four 5km races in 2011 with my PB being 28:32 at the Emilie’s Run in Ottawa. I also decided to train for, and compete in, my first Triathlon in 2011. I completed The Canadian Try a Tri in Ottawa and finished in a time of 1:10:36.

Your favourite running route:  My favourite running route is the route I get to train on when visiting my Aunt and Uncle’s cottage in Georgian Bay in the summer. The route runs along the cottage road beside Georgian Bay so you get the cool breeze off the water and gorgeous views. It is also fantastic for triathlon training because you can do a swim in the open water, transition to a road bike, and then run all in the same spot!

What inspires you, motivates you and/or your favourite quote: 

I have been an athlete all of my life, but after my son Nicholas was born in 2007, my life changed and my focus shifted to him. Nicholas was born with many health problems and our life became appointments, hospital stays and his care. Time for my personal well-being and exercise was non-existent. Physical activity has always been a part of my life and I missed it. In 2011 I decided that if I was going to be able to fit in exercise it would have to be something that I could do from home and at any time, so that it fit into our family schedule. My friend who started running the year before said I could join her in her three times per week runs. So, in April of 2011 my running journey started. I am not an accomplished runner and my 5km runs are still a push for me, but I am proud of myself for trying something new and sticking with it. Another friend who I have known since my athlete days, suggested that I might like triathlons. Not to be one to back down on a challenge, I thought I’d give it a try. I trained for a few months and completed a ‘Try a Tri’ in September 2011. Apart from the body contact, which seems unavoidable in the swim portion, and the 40 degree heat of the day, I loved it! I hope to move up to a Super Sprint triathlon in 2012 and push myself even more. I know that I need to take care of myself so I can take care of my son. I need to be strong to carry that little man around as he gets bigger! That is all the motivation I need.

Why you are running for Team MitoCanada:  Although Nicholas suffered from many health challenges from birth, we did not find out he had Mitochondrial Disease until 2009. As part of the disease Nicholas is blind, suffers from daily seizures, gastrointestinal problems, and global developmental delay. He cannot crawl, walk or talk. However, we have been blessed with a child who is easy going, happy and delightful. He is strong and brave. Every day he amazes us with what he is learning, and gives us hope. In September 2011 our family travelled to Hamilton, ON to participate in the MitoWalk and meet other Mito families. After participating in the day I decided I would like to become more involved with MitoCanada, and raise awareness for this charity. When I heard about the formation of Team MitoCanada I jumped on the opportunity to join. I compete for Team MitoCanada to help spread awareness and raise funds for this disease. I compete for Team MitoCanada for a hope for the future. Most of all I compete for Team MitoCanada for my son, and my hero, Nicholas.