Last October - my sweet and courageous friend - Heather Chan - received devastating news. The kind of news that no one wants to hear - cancer - in her liver and pancreas. We grieved the diagnosis. We cried. I held Heather in my arms until the sobs subsided. We talked. We prayed. We spoke of what the future might bring. BUT right from the start, Heather was determined to deal with the cancer with grace and hope - embracing each day as best as possible - continuing to go to the gym - go for walks - meet with her trainer - have coffee with family and friends - go shopping (something she loves to do) - and trust that God would sustain her on the really rough days. And rough days there have been - but rarely - has she ever answered my texts or phone calls with despair. Heather is upbeat and did I mention - hopeful!

There were some very tough days this past summer. Heather’s weight dropped dramatically and she ended up in the hospital for a few days - with dehydration and exhaustion. But - perseverance - is Heather’s middle name. She embraced each and every setback with determination.

We spent Labour Day Monday together on our beach. Heather and her husband Pat drove up for the day and while Pat paddled his kayak around the lake, we walked the beach - sat in the sun and snacked on yummy treats. We shared lunch together. We talked about everything. We shed some tears. We prayed together. It was a great day for the body and soul.

Imagine my surprise - last week - when Heather texted me to tell me that she had signed up to run a 5 km race in November. I couldn’t believe it. I was delighted for her. She is tiny - physically - but a giant in her will to live and continues to overcome tremendous odds.

Imagine even greater surprise - when the thought popped into my head - that I should run the 5 km race with her. I should be by Heather’s side. I will support her.

The last race I ran was May 25, 2019 in Ottawa. It was part of the Ottawa marathon weekend and I ran a 2 km family run with my son, Ben and my grandson, Luke. We even made the CTV evening news in Ottawa. Earlier in the day - I had shared our story with the newscaster - three generations - running together. It was my last race (until now).

A few months after my Ottawa race with Ben and Luke - I was waterskiing - and the tip of the right ski caught under a wave as I was taking off from the dock. I tried to pull the tip out of the water and felt pain in my right hamstring. I immediately let go of the rope - paddled my body back to the dock where Harv helped to pull me up. When I tried to stand - the pain was so intense that I fainted. Over the next few hours - my hamstring swelled up and then, over the next few days - the bruising began - from my lower back to my ankle. I was in rough shape. I couldn’t put any weight on it. I could only ice it and take the strongest pain killers I could buy over the counter. It took twelve weeks for my right hamstring to heal and when it did - it was working at only 20%. Running was out of the question. I slowly eased back into pickle ball, the gym, cycling, swimming and walking. I realized I would not run competitively again.

Disappointed - yes! But grateful for the things I could do. Grateful rather than bitter. Grateful for the years of running races with my kids, grandson, Randy, Heather and several other friends. Grateful for the triathlons I had trained for and completed. Grateful. Always.

Here we are 6 years later and I will run - not fast - and with a very weird gait - but I will run. If my friend wants to run this race, I will be by her side.

Heather and I have been friends since 2007 when we met at the Harriers Running Club in Cambridge. This group met Tuesday and Thursday evenings for training runs and then again, on Saturday morning for the “long” run. How Randy and I enjoyed training with our running friends. Heather and I became instant friends - she became “my little sister.” (Check out my blogs to read more of Heather’s story - November 28, 2024 and April 10, 2025).

It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who said - “She is beautiful, but not like the women in the magazines. She is beautiful for the way she thinks. She is beautiful for the sparkle in her eyes when she talks about something she loves. She is beautiful for her ability to make other people smile, even when she is sad. No - she isn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She is beautiful - deep down in her soul. She is beautiful.”

That’s my friend - Heather Chan.

Sarah waited. Deborah led. Esther risked. Ruth followed. Mary believed. Women of God - your faith will shape your story too!