An Extra Ray of Sunshine at the Sun Run

It was the coldest Sun Run on record and the largest but also a beautiful sunny day! Yesterday over 59,000 people ran and walked the 10km Vancouver Sun Run and I was one of them. I've run it a few times before and walked it a handful of times as well and it's always a great time. So many people and such great energy with such a huge crowd.

Yesterday's event was particularly touching though as one participant was wheeled past me about half way through. I didn't think I'd end up being teary eyed at all while participating in this 10km event, but I got teary eyed. You might remember a few years ago in the news there was a young Korean girl who was living in Vancouver and learning english as a second language. Her name was Ji-Won Park. Back in 2002 she was jogging around Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park and her life completely changed when she was attacked, strangled and beaten and left for dead. She survived but suffers from brain damage, she can't speak and she's confined to a wheelchair. At the Sun Run, the Sun really was shining, a ray of hope, and many rays of inspiration as friends of Ji-Won Park were pushing her wheelchair through the 10 kilometer route all wearing huge smiles on their faces and helping her to experience something she likely would have run herself if she hadn't been attacked 6 years ago. It really was an amazing moment to see her fly past me beaming a ray of light from ear to ear and outward to everyone whom she passed. What a wonderful and teary eyed moment. Awesome.