Thank you for being here! I will be participating in the upcoming Ottawa half marathon as a tribute to my late husband, Steven Trickett.

On May 26, 2019, Steven was eagerly anticipating running his first half marathon, but unfortunately, he didn't get to finish the race. This year, one day before the six year anniversary of his death, I will be running to celebrate the love and joy that he brought into our lives.

MY MOTIVATION

This race means so much to me - it means healing and remembrance, it means celebrating the gift of being alive in a body that is healthy and mobile. I want to show our beautiful daughters that we can do hard things in the face of trauma and loss.

When Steven died, our oldest daughter was 2.5 and I was 7 months pregnant with our second daughter. We have come a long way since then, but the grief journey never really ends.

I want to spread awareness of how difficult the grieving journey is for so many. Grieving the loss of a spouse is considered to be one of the most stressful life events. As a society, death and grief often make us uncomfortable and yet, it is one of the only life experiences that we will all share. We have to talk more about death and about how long and challenging the grief journey can be.

Further, our children grieve too.As adults, it's hard to grasp why people die young, let alone for young children. Our children deserve support, guidance, grace, and compassion—they need to feel seen and heard. Their grief is real, valid, and deserves attention.

This leads me to the charity I have chosen to support again this year - Playful Mindset.

A LITTLE STORY

In the fall of 2023, a widowed friend introduced me to an outdoor, play-based grief support group for children in Ottawa. I was thrilled! There's a regrettable lack of support for grieving children and their families. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the Executive Director of Playful Mindset was also from Newfoundland, like Steven and I!

On our first intake call, we started by doing what Newfoundlanders do best – figuring out what mutual connections we might have back home. Marnie and I then talked about Steven, our grief, and what I was hoping to gain from the program for my girls. After sharing my story, Marnie paused.

“I have to share something with you. I was with your husband when he died”.

I was stunned, as was she. Steven and Marnie had run together for more than half of that race, silently supporting each other. She was there when he passed away.

The universe has brought many people and connections into my life over the past six years, and Marnie is one of them. It's incredible that she was there with Steven during his final moments and is now offering invaluable support to my grieving daughters.

If you've reached this point, thank you for reading! If possible, please consider donating to Playful Mindset to help make their programs accessible to more people. If you're in Ottawa, I'd love to see you cheering me on along the race route!

And finally, let’s all pause to remember Steven. He is missed every single day. We love you, Steven.