On Sunday, June 5, 2011, Lil’wat Nation of Mount Currie, British Columbia had their first annual Lil’wat Satellite Sun Run.

As SportMedBC’s RunWalk Coordinator, I had the pleasure of attending the event!

Upon my arrival, I was greeted with a big hug from Mount Currie’s Aboriginal RunWalk leader Shawn Wallace.

“I’m so glad you made it!”, she said. 

Immediately, I was put to work! Along with the numerous volunteers from the community, we cut fruit, gathered prizes, organized registration and set up water stations along the course. Twenty-nine participants pre-registered, with several others registering that morning.

The race started in waves: Runners and walkers. Then people with strollers, children, finally everyone else.

As I ran and cycled throughout the course, everyone was greeted by drummers and community members who were cheering us on along the way! As the final walkers crossed the finish line, everyone began to gear up for a big celebration. 

Over forty people participated in the event! Although I wasn’t able to stay for the celebration, I truly felt the honour and pride that was being celebrated long before anyone crossed the finish line. As I was making my way down the mountain, I thought back to Shawn’s words when we first saw each other. “I’m so glad you made it!”

I thought to myself, I’m glad I made it too!

Congratulations to Shawn and the Lil’wat community on a job well done, and a big thank you for letting me be a part of such a special event!

– Susan Nguyen