Sgt. Jayden Cormier and five of his buddies from the Canadian Scottish Regiment made a big impression at the 2016 Victoria Walk to fight Arthritis, strapping on up to 36 kilograms apiece and doing the main five-kilometre route three times.
It was all inspired by the 28-year-old Cormier’s mother, Denise, who has had arthritis since he was born. The Victoria event is part of a national effort to stage fundraising walks in support of the Arthritis Society.
Cormier said he suggested the idea of doing the walk to a regimental committee that annually picks a charity to support.
“I pitched it to the committee and everyone was on board.”
Ten members of his new regiment, the 5th (B.C.) Field Artillery, will be at the 2017 Victoria walk on June 4, but Cormier is preparing for deployment to eastern Europe and is not sure if he can be there.
“I may or may not be back,” he said from Edmonton, where he is training in advance of his posting.
Team fundraising is underway and includes gathering pledges, Cormier said. The group will once again do the 5K route three times laden with similar weight.
He said his mother’s arthritis has gone through various stages over the years.
“I’ve grown up seeing it progress,” he said. “It’s kind of been a bit of a roller coaster, progressively getting worse.
“But there’s some really great programs and treatments out there, and a recent surgery that she had that has really brought back a lot of her mobility, which has been wonderful.”
Cormier said his mother is serving as this year’s co-ordinator for the other Island walk in Parksville.
“It’s kind of neat to see,” he said. “They were looking for someone and she stepped up.”
People can relate to arthritis as a cause worthy of support, Cormier said.
“For me there’s definitely personal ties, and within the community, for the most part, everyone knows somebody who has been impacted by arthritis.”
Cormier said he and his army friends are proud to be associated with the walk,
“For us, as military members, it’s nice to give back but also show that not only are we representatives within our community, but we are members of it, as well.”
Victoria has been part of the Arthritis Society’s national walk program for the past seven years, but the city has had an arthritis walk since 1992.
About 250 people took part in the city’s 1016 walk, and Victoria spokeswoman Emma Kirkland is hoping to see about 300 this year. The walk will once again start near the Selkirk Trestle in Selkirk Green Park and provide the option of a one- or five-kilometre route.
Participants will begin by walking across the trestle.
Kirkland said arthritis affects 4.6 million Canadians — or one in seven. There are 100 different types of arthritis, she said, ranging from osteoarthritis and gout to fibromyalgia.
Register for either the Victoria or Parksville walk at walktofightarthritis.ca, or in Victoria call Kirkland at 250-519-4002.
Both walks have event-day registration at 8:30 a.m. and start at 10 a.m.
The Parksville walk is centred at Parksville Community Park.
