Page 35 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 126

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Continued from page 28
Ontario.”
Wendell and Sheila are both
members of the 50 State Club,
with Wendell having completed
marathons in each state twice, and
Sheila once. Sheila has completed
69 marathons but prefers the
Half Marathon distance and has
completed 73 of them. As a member
of the Globe Trotters Marathon Club,
being awarded a flag after running
in 10 countries, Wendell is presently
one country short of earning his
second flag. A future goal? Well,
as Sheila says, “Wendell will go
anywhere if there’s a marathon at the
end of it.” Wendell is also a member
of the Seven Continent Marathon
Club, having completed marathons
on each continent.
In 2017 Wendell was awarded Two people died that day.”
the prestigious Abbott World
Marathon Majors medal for having
completed all six of the world’s
major marathons. At that time, there
had only been 3800 runners who
had accomplished that feat. The
path to the Abbotts medal began in
2006 when Wendell and Sheila were
in London, England, visiting friends
and decided to run the marathon.
“The course has one of the best finish
lines in marathoning,” Wendell says,
“It ends right in front of Buckingham
Palace with Queen Victoria’s statue
in the forefront. Then in November
of that same year, Sheila and
I, through the Ottawa Running
Room, got into the New York City
Marathon where we had one of our
best marathon experiences, as the
buzz and excitement demonstrated
by the crowd as we ran through
the five different boroughs was
overwhelming. Sheila had her name
on her shirt and people were calling
out to her all along the course.”
The Chicago Marathon in October
of 2007 was up next. Sheila would
be running the marathon with a
group of ladies from the Raisin
Issue #126 July 2023 35
River Ramblers. It was the 30th hour slower than usual and running Weather can be unpredictable in
anniversary of the race and it would almost on one foot - but I finished.” Antarctica and the marathon was
go into the record books due to the moved up. We left our hotel at
heat. Record temperatures had been Marathoners were affected by the 1:30am and flew to Antarctica for a
set that week, and at the 8am start Covid Pandemic, but like athletes 6am race start. The sun was coming
from many other sports, had to
time on Sunday it was 80 degrees up over the horizon and along the
F. During the race, that increased to adapt. Wendell took part in the course we got to see the seals and
Great Canadian Crossing Virtual
90F with a heat index of 109. Forty- penguins coming out of the water.
five thousand runners had entered Challenge, a 4,800 km biking/ The weather wasn’t all that bad,
the race, with 10,000 choosing not running event. During the Covid but the course was icy. We ran two
period Wendell also virtually ran
to run in the heat. The need for water marathons in a 27-hour period and
was so great that volunteers were Hadrian’s Wall (90 miles), the the legs were dead at the finish.”
Camino de Santiago Challenge,
unable to keep up. Sheila and her
group were diverted off the course the Ring of Kerry (200km), and the The Tamarac Ottawa International
at the 18-mile mark, but Wendell Inca Trail (42km). It was part of the Marathon, no. 200 for Wendell,
Conqueror Challenge used to keep did not go unnoticed by the media.
made the cut and was able to finish
the race. “It was an experience not to training up. CTV sent a crew to Williamstown
to film and interview Wendell and
be forgotten,” said Wendell. “There Running a 42 km distance is
were helicopters in the air, fire never easy, but some can be more Sheila, with the segment showing
trucks by the road, hydrants open, challenging than others. Wendell a few days before the race. Three
very well-known runners, who
police making announcements, and mentioned running a marathon in
runners down and in need of help. Chile, at the bottom of the country Wendell and Sheila have met and
along the Strait of Magellan. There become friends with over the
years, sent congratulatory letters.
In April of 2013 Wendell qualified was supposed to be a three-day rest
to run the Boston Marathon, saying. period, then a 2 1/2-hour flight to
Antarctica for another marathon. Continued on page 37
“I managed to stumble onto a Boston
qualifying time without actually
Cornwall’s Oldest Paint,
focusing on it, gaining acceptance
to Boston, then running it in 2015 Blind & Shutter Store.
would propel me to Abbott Majors Family owned Business Since 1988
goal. Berlin had yet to be run and Presents “Famous Sports Quotes”
Tokyo had now been added to
the original five marathons. In “Coach is one of the greatest titles anybody can have. They impact
September of 2015 I ran Berlin,
which is the second largest kid’s lives in a way that no other teacher does.” Phil Knight
marathon in the world and is very Now Available Oil Based Stains
well organized. Running through
the Brandenburg gate at the finish
was a memorable experience.” The
sixth and final marathon wouldn’t 100% Canadian
made oil based
be an easy one, as Wendell had
been training inconsistently due to a stains
prolonged foot injury and had been
battling a cold in the two weeks
prior to the race. The Tokyo race
is unique in the fact that there are
nine checkpoints and if runners do
not arrive at each one by a specific
time, they are removed from the Since 1988
course. “My concern was timing, Celebrating 35 years
I had scenarios worked out for Quality & Service At The Right Price!
each checkpoint so that I could get Paints, Blinds, Shutters
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