When you’re born to run, it makes perfect sense to make the choice to live in an area where country roads with greenery line your route and birdsongs can sometimes be the only sound you hear.
“I just love it here. The lakes, the beauty of nature all around us and of course the people, the sense of community.”
Born across the pond in England, her family immigrated to Canada when she was just two-years-old, settling in the Toronto area. Growing up, her older sister was good friends with Claudia Van Wijk whose family owned the Madawaska Kanu Centre. She tagged along for visits to Barry’s Bay and even ended up working a few summers at the Camp. That’s when she fell in love with the area. Now a resident of the Madawaska Valley for over 40 years, she couldn’t imagine a better place to live. Along with raising her three children Jennifer, Adam and Sophie here, she has worked as a Special Education Assistant for the past 26 years, 21 in Palmer Rapids, and now in the Bay at the high school.
She recalls always being active as a child, but she didn’t discover running until high school. “ I was a very quiet student, so I picked this sport because it was something I could do alone. It was then I found out I had a talent for distance running.”
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