Salluit runners bring some northern perspective to Hawaii marathon

A halfmarathon is a distance of 22 kilometers no easy task.

Now imagine travelling 7,539kilometers just to get to the starting line.

Seven runners from the Inuit community of Salluit the second northernmost community in theprovince, on the shore of Hudson Strait travelled that distance to Hilo, Hawaii last month. They hadtrained all winter to run in the Big Island International HalfMarathon.

The seven are members of the Salluit Running Club, started by local educator MaggieMacDonnell. About five years ago, she helped start up a fitness centre in Salluit and started looking foractivities to encourage people to stay active throughout the year. Someone suggested running races.

She signed people up to train.

In 2014, she organized a trip to the Kauai HalfMarathon with one of her runners, Mary Pootoo.

When her fellow students saw Pootoo return with a 2nd place medal around her neck and tales oftravelling, the bug was planted.

"What's great about these events is they're so inclusive, " MacDonnell told the CBC. "Whether Ihave a competitive athlete or someone who's new to working out, we can all travel to these eventstogether. And when you're out running, you're running your own race but you have the support of 1,000or 2,000 other runners, too."

Luke Amamatuk, 18, has been running since he was 13. He came fourth in his agecategory in Hilo. He says training in Salluit's winter conditions wasn't always easy. But he insisted onrunning outside as much as possible, even in blizzard conditions: "One time I lost feeling in my thumb!"he said, chuckling.

"It gets pretty cold," said coach Maggie MacDonnell. "Pretty cold in Salluit terms is around minus25 C.It's the wind you really feel."

MacDonnell said thatwhen the conditions became impossible, her runnerswould take to the treadmills at the Salluit fitness centre. In fact,they've actually run twotreadmills into the dust with all their training.

Larry Thomassiah, 18, started running when he was a kid, providing company for a cousin whowas a hockey player who used to jog around Salluit to train.

When McDonnell suggested he trytraining for distance running, he decided to give it a try.

He said it's made him stronger and fitter.

"I seea lot of people when they try to go for a run for 10minutes,they can't even last that long. I couldlast for at least two hours."

Both young men said running provides them with an outlet when things get difficult.

"It's like atherapist," saidAmamatuk.

Thomassiah agreed."When I'm facing problems, it clears mymind."

Difficult realities

Maggie MacDonnell saidthere's no doubt her students are surrounded by realities that make itdifficult to cope at times.

"We had 6 suicides last year, all affecting young males between the ages, say, of 18 and 25. These young people are affected by that. They know those young people and share theirstories in many ways."

She said credit has to be given to the community of Salluit for finding space andfunding for the fitness centre, a resource that provides young people with a way to deal with some ofthe stress in their lives.

Proud of results

Amamatuk came fourth in his age category in the Hilo halfmarathon. He said his finishmade all the hard work worth it.

"I was pushing myself to be stronger and smarter."

A week after themarathon, he was off to a regional science fair in Mistissini, Que., where his project took first prize in theSecondary 5 category. He's in the process of deciding between studying to be a sound engineer and attending CEGEP MarieVictorin in Montreal "to open up to other people, and to learn a lot more."

I was pushing myself to be stronger and smarter.- Luke Amamatuak,SalluitRunning Club member

Thomassiah cramped at the 18km mark and had to be helped across the finish line inHawaii. But the trip has left an indelible mark. Leaving the cold of Salluit for the lush warmth of Hawaiihas given him the thirst to see more of the world. "That trip was unbelievable. I couldn't believe I was inHawaii for the first two days. When I woke up I would go out to the balcony and just take a look at theview. It was beautiful. I couldn't believe that I woke up there."

The Salluit Runners Club was giving back to the community as they raised funds for their trip toHawaii. They managed to raise $30,000 for the North West Company's Healthy Horizons Foundation,which invests in healthy living programs through the Inuit communities of Nunavik.

MacDonnell says it gives her a lot of pride listening to her young Inuit runnersdescribe what the running program has done for them. But she won't take a lot of the credit.

"When Ifirst started the running program I can say maybe I was the one pulling them along. Now I'm justchasing them," she said. "Their motivation, dedication and dreams are what's setting the course now."