Saanich woman Jennifer Maxwell, fitness enthusiast and able-bodied, faced two challenges after deciding to complete the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon 8K in a wheelchair.
The first was getting the support of people who live with real disabilities. Maxwell volunteers at Move gym, helping people with disabilities, and the last thing she wanted was to have them feel her gesture was somehow patronizing. So she asked: “Will this be OK?”
“Everybody was very enthusiastic and thought it was a great idea,” said the 41-year-old mom of one grown daughter. “I haven’t had anyone suggest they saw some sort of offence.”
She was surprised by how friendly everybody is when she encounters them in her chair. Out training, she is often met with smiles and helpfulness.
“I thought: ‘Wow, why not just start doing that with everybody, whether they are in a wheelchair or not,’” said Maxwell, who works as a provincial public servant.
The second challenge was how physically tough it can be just getting around in a wheelchair, let alone racing in one.
“I’ve been going out training every other day,” Maxwell said. “You get in a chair and suddenly any incline, even a degree or two, and you find yourself working a lot harder.”
She will be one of about 2,400 people in the 8K this Sunday; overall, about 9,000 are expected to hit the pavement in the four races that are part of the annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon.
It’s billed as the largest event on Vancouver Island when it comes to overall participation. It’s also the oldest participatory event in Victoria, beginning 36 years ago as the Royal Victoria Marathon. The name changed when GoodLife came on board as a sponsor.
Participants have until Saturday at 6 p.m. to register for the full marathon, the half-marathon, the 8K or the kids’ run.
Race spokeswoman Cathy Noel said it’s also the 11th year racers can raise funds for a charity or a cause, something that’s not taking off as much as organizers hoped.
“Less than five per cent are raising money,” said Noel. “It’s not as many as we would like.”
Maxwell in her wheelchair has chosen to raise money for Move Adapted Fitness and Rehabilitation Society, not-for-profit operators of the gym where she volunteers.
She describes herself as someone who has always enjoyed being fit and moving — running, cycling or dancing. But still, the notion of fitness for people with disabilities was, at first, a kind of a smack-on-the forehead moment.
“I read an article,” said Maxwell, “and I thought: ‘Of course fitness is important for people with disabilities, maybe even more important in some cases.’ ”
She said working with people who live with disabilities has offered her the satisfaction of helping others achieve visible goals, whether it’s a stroke patient regaining the ability to stand or a spinal-injury patient regaining movement in the arms.
“We often have people coming in to Move who have very specific mobility goals,” Maxwell said. “They come in, and they work out and you can see them make progress.”
She has also learned new respect for those people with disabilities who are competitive athletes, whether it’s wheelchair basketball or racing or whatever sport they have chosen.
One of the women Maxwell approached about advice for completing the race competes in wheelchair basketball.
The woman was thrilled when she heard of Maxwell’s plans, provided good advice about training workouts and even offered the use of a chair; unfortunately, it was too small.
The woman also let Maxwell know she was getting into something that is not easy.
“She let me know I have signed on for something really serious,” she said.
“There are going to be real wheelchair racers in this race,” Maxwell said. “They are going to have racing chairs and they will leave me and probably a lot of other people in the dust.
“I’m not one of those athletes,” she said.
To learn how to help Maxwell in her goal of raising money for Move, go to raceonline.ca/events/fundraising/808.
For information on the GoodLife Victoria marathon, go to runvictoriamarathon.com.
