Best feet forward

St. Boniface

Winnipeg

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This article was published 13/10/2023 (903 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Paul Bernardin believes in second chances.

Survivor of a heart attack in 2006, the 66-year-old runner is currently in the midst of a massive and daunting (for him, at least) fundraising campaign in support of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation — an effort to give back to the hospital community that treated and looked after him.

The Island Lakes resident hopes to raise $50,000 by literally running on all the streets of Winnipeg, which he figures will encompass around 5,000 kilometres by the end, all told. For most of these runs, he will be accompanied by friend and fellow runner Abe Villanueva.

The official launch of the run will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 9 a.m., starting from the greenspace east of Shaw Park (two Running Room flags and a WSR 5000K banner will mark the location).

At 9 a.m., there will be a land acknowledgement, then Bernardin will say a few words about his project and take questions. Bottled water and snacks will be available at the start of the launch and run T-shirts will be on sale for $25.

A while later, Bernardin will lead a five-kilometre run or walk for anyone interested in joining him. Organizers say the event will also end at greenspace, and there be a photo opportunity for participants near St. Boniface Hospital en route.

“My goal is to run the entire city,” said Bernardin, who wasn’t a runner in his youth. “The total distance is about 4,000 kilometres, but I have to add on a certain percentage as I’ll be circling back at times.”

Working meticulously off a massive map, Bernardin said the campaign — a.k.a. the Winnipeg Street Run 5000K — means he will be visiting streets that are still within the jurisdiction of the City of Winnipeg even if they’re located outside the Perimeter Highway.

On the day of this interview, for example, he had visited an area south of the Perimeter, near the point at which the Seine River meets the Red River Floodway.

Bernardin began his fundraiser in May, and plans to finish by May 2026, which will coincide with the 20th anniversary of his heart attack.

The idea for it was born when he started running: “I was talking to people, who were all very supportive, and then I started a Facebook page.”

Bernardin then reached out to Dawn Hanson, a key organizer and supporter of his campaign, and the momentum steamrolled.

His primary motivation is a desire to give back to the hospital that treated him so well, he said.

“The care at St. B was phenomenal. Everything came together, and the pieces fell into place,” he said, referring to his treatment and aftercare.

Bernardin added that once he found out the medical procedures and care he received would have cost approximately $50,000 had they not been covered by our universal health insurance, he knew he wanted to help make a difference in the lives of those who will be saved in the future.

He said that, after his heart attack, he began to realize he had a second chance in life, especially as he knew other men who had died after also suffering attacks at around the same.

“This really got the ball rolling … Then I started thinking about what to do with my second chance,” Bernardin said.

“I’m encouraging people to donate to pay it back, or donate to help pay it forward. Also, we only have one body, so it’s important to take care of it.”

“We can all help the health-care system by leading a healthy lifestyle,” he added.

Visit www.tinyurl.com/winnipeg-street-run to learn more.