More than 200 participants attended the Rainforest Trail Run, a five- and 10-kilometer run that encourages physical activity among people from indigenous communities.
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Rosalin Miles and her six-year-old daughter Ava didn’t let a few drops of rain stop them from running down the trails of Burnaby’s Central Park on Sunday morning.
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The couple were among more than 200 participants in the Rainforest Trail Run, a fun five- and 10-kilometer run that encourages physical activity among people from indigenous communities.
His second year marked a return to in-person racing since the COVID-19 pandemic made landfall in BC, said Chris Hancock of the Achilles International Track and Field Society, a nonprofit that founded The Vancouver Sun Run in 1985.
“It was so nice to see people again. The warmth between the competitors was amazing ”.
With health problems still looming, the child and adult runners set off at staggered start times to cover the chosen distances.
Miles, a member of Lytton First Nation, said other runners cheered her on during her three-mile hike.
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“It has been a very stressful year for our indigenous communities and many traumas have resurfaced. The trail running supports what we already know and do in our communities: being together outdoors in a healthy way. “
In her work as a professor of kinesiology at UBC, the 56-year-old said that there is an educational tendency within society to look to indigenous communities for what they lack in terms of health.
“In fact, I believe that indigenous communities are the leaders to look to in terms of ‘holistic’ health, as their members practice spiritual, emotional and mental health during physical activity.”
As Miles ran through the lush forest on Sunday, she engaged in a meditative mindset that connected her to nature and reduced her stress, she said.
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“What happened with the pandemic has made many of our indigenous communities look for ways to be active. This race helped us reconnect with those things. “
For her daughter, Ava, the rain-soaked forest provided a means of jumping into puddles.
“It was nice. She finished first in the boys’ race and got a medal,” said Miles. “I’m very proud of her.”
The Rainforest Trail has quickly become a new family tradition for the family.
“We really want to do it again next year,” said the mother.
The event took place days before Canada’s first National Truth and Reconciliation Day, on September 30.
“Someday, I hope that every province and territory across Canada will be able to host its own forest trail and help others learn more about indigenous culture,” Hancock said.
The proceeds from the career have been used to provide scholarships and fellowships for First Nations youth in British Columbia.
Reference-vancouversun.com