Inspirational Runners - Kim Slater Edition

On July 8th, Kim Slater began her trek to run the equivalent of 29 marathons over 45 days; personally, I think she's insane! To raise awareness about the controversial expansion of the Alberta oil sands and society's dependence on fossil fuels, Slater is running the proposed route for the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline which is set to start near Jasper, Alberta and finish near Kitimat, British Columbia. That's 1,170 kilometres. Uh...I thought 21K was a lot! 


As she goes along, Slater plans to stop and talk to the people living in the communities located along the proposed pipeline route. She hopes to raise questions in addition to awareness and get educated on all aspects of the issue. The pipeline would carry an average of 525,000 barrels of petroleum per day through the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. In the long run (pun intended), Slater is hoping to pressure Canadian federal leaders to create a national energy strategy. 


Slater has raised $15,000 to cover the costs of her endeavour - a support vehicle, waste vegetable oil for fuel, and food. So, I thought $5000 and 21km was pretty impressive, but I have nothing on the Marathon Slayer. 


You can follow her incredible journey on Band Together BC: Hold Hands Not Tar Sands. 


Like Kim, I am running for social change - advocating for a cause very near and dear to my heart. Education WILL change the world - one student at a time and I will tell people how important their support is - one kilometer at a time! Wise words from Kim Slater: "Running is the simplest way forward..."