Chilliwack runner marks 24th birthday with 100-kilometre fundraising run
Kalyn Head spent the first 10 hours and 42 minutes of her 24th birthday on the run.
The Chilliwack native is an endurance runner, and she's celebrated each of her last four birthdays with a fundraising run for an organization in her community.
The runs started as five-kilometre fun runs with friends and family, but when the pandemic made a group gathering impossible last year, Head decided to escalate her efforts.
Instead of running five kilometres with friends, she ran 100 kilometres - an ultramarathon - by herself. In the process, she raised more than $6,000 for Chilliwack Community Services.
"This year, after I saw how much the pandemic affected a lot of the athletes, I decided that it would be good to donate the money to Special Olympics," Head told CTV News.
She began her grueling run at midnight with a 50-kilometre loop around Chilliwack. After that, she ran to Abbotsford, where she was joined by some Special Olympics runners as she crossed the finish line at Rotary Stadium.
As of Saturday afternoon, she had raised more than $16,000 for Special Olympics BC.
Head has volunteered as a coach for Special Olympics for the last six years, and said the fundraising run gave her the opportunity to raise awareness about some of the athletes she has coached.
"I just think it's so important to be inclusive and to be kind to everyone," she said. "My running logo says, 'Run hard and be kind.'"
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.