December 7, 2021, Ottawa, ON – Ottawa resident Andy Wilson is close to reaching his goal to run a minimum of five kilometres each day, for a year, with the goal of raising $25,000 in support of Heart & Stroke. To date, Andy has run a total of 2,615 kms and raised more than $17,000 for the national charity.
Andy began his running challenge on January 1st on Parliament Hill. Every morning, he laced up his sneakers and set out for his daily run around Ottawa. Through snow, ice, rain, and extreme heat and across different terrain Andy continued with his journey, fueled by his desire to make a difference in the lives of others affected by heart disease and stroke.
“Through this personal challenge, I’ve had lots of time for reflection. Some days were exhilarating while other days were physically and mentally tiring. I kept myself focused by remembering that I was doing this run in memory of my dad who died suddenly from a heart attack,” said Wilson.
Today, approximately 1.6 million Canadians have heart disease or are living with the effects of a stroke. Further, nine in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart conditions, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment with one person dying every five minutes. New evidence has found that people living with heart disease and stroke are at greater risk if they are infected with COVID-19.
“We are thrilled to support Andy in his extraordinary journey. He is truly an inspiration. Thanks to his determination and the community’s support, Andy has raised critical funds to support Heart & Stroke’s mission to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery for people affected by heart disease and stroke,” said Kari Flannery, Vice President of Development for Ontario and Nunavut.
“This run has meant everything to me and I couldn’t have done this without the support of my family, friends and the community,” said Wilson. “I invite others to take up this challenge and commit to daily exercise. You can do any kind of exercise and for any length of time. The important thing is to live a healthy, active lifestyle and help Heart & Stroke beat heart disease and stroke,” said Wilson.
For every individual who commits to daily exercise for a month and joins the fundraising team, Andy will add an extra month to his running challenge.
The public can follow Andy’s journey and learn more about his public challenge on Instagram (mr.wilson6). Donations for Heart & Stroke can be made on Andy’s fundraising page.
About Heart & Stroke
Life. We don’t want you to miss it. That’s why Heart & Stroke leads the fight against heart disease and stroke. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don’t miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to promote health, save lives and enhance recovery through research, prevention and public policy. heartandstroke.ca
Contact Information
Maryse Bégin
Regional Advisor, Communications
Maryse.Begin@coeuretavc.ca
514-669-6297