A life-long Collingwood resident will be celebrating her birthday in September by lacing up her sneakers and raising funds for SickKids Hospital.
Over the month of September, Brooke Girdwood will be running 300 kilometres to raise $300 for SickKids Hospital. She’ll be documenting her 30-day journey on her health and wellness Instagram account The Grind Guide, which she started during the pandemic as a creative outlet.
“I thought this would be a good way to make each step count as I’m running and serve something that’s bigger than me,” Girdwood told CollingwoodToday.ca.
Born and raised in Collingwood and a graduate of Collingwood Collegiate Institute, Girdwood left briefly to get her university degree in economics before returning to the south Georgian Bay community.
Earlier this year, she started her Instagram account @the.grindguide, where she posts health, nutrition and wellness content.
“As I was graduating we went into the pandemic, and I just felt really disconnected from other people. I just wanted to look for some way where I could educate myself on topics I like and share that content with other people and build a community of my own,” she said.
Girdwood will be turning 24 on Sept. 26. Twenty-four years ago, she spent her early days at SickKids as she was born with pyloric stenosis.
Pyloric stenosis is an uncommon condition in infants that blocks food from entering the small intestine.
“While I can’t consciously remember the experience, I do have a scar on my abdomen. It reminds me not to take life for granted,” said Girdwood. “I feel like it grounds me.”
SickKids holds an annual event called Get Loud, where active fundraisers are encouraged to bring in dollars for a new SickKids Hospital build. As the existing facility is nearly 70 years old, the building is nearing the end of its usable lifespan.
Girdwood is relatively new to running herself having taken up the sport during COVID-19.
“I’ve always been an athlete but it was in team sports, like basketball,” she said. “With gyms being closed and social distancing (requirements), I needed to find a way to be active.”
“It doesn’t just serve your needs physically, but also mentally. It’s been such a hard year that everyone has had. Running gives me more time to think and reflect,” she said.
She’ll be documenting her 30-day journey on her Instagram page while also featuring stories of other people who have benefited from the services SickKids provides.
“I think this will be an attainable goal for me,” she said.
If you’d like to make a pledge in support of Girdwood’s journey, you can donate through the SickKids website here.
