Best Foot Forward

My personal story in our book to be released in 2 days eeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Speaks a bit about the Heel n wheel athon. I'm sure that through reading our blog and getting familiar with the gutsy generation and the CCFC you must have heard some things about the upcoming heel n wheel events and this is because the heel n wheel is an event that many of us hold very dear to our hearts. Personally the heel-n-wheel a-thon is the first CCFC event that I ever attended and it has, and continues to make a huge posotive impact on my life. That first heel n wheel gave me a great sense of purpose and ownership in the fight against a disease in which I knew very little about. Months after my diagnosis I packed up all of my friends and family and we drove from Nanaimo to Victoria (a near 2 hour drive) to take part in our first heel n wheel. I hadn't anticipated the overwhelming support I would receive from my friends and family and was blown away by the support I was shown both financially and physically (and the people that came to walk along with me!)! What was even more overwhelming however was the amazing sense of belonging and partnership I felt, and continue to feel at each heel n wheel. The camaraderie and support of all of these people who are out to fight in our mission to find a cure for this disease, my disease, is truly inspiring! The heel and wheel has given me the chance to be more open about my disease and share what I am going through with many. It also gives me the opportunity yearly to get my friends and family together and introduce them to my other family, the Crohn's family, I had no choice in picking them but when we all get together we really do have a great time. The heel n wheel is an event that doesn't require a ton of effort on my part (except for that I am part of the planning team in Nanaimo this year), but the event provides an opportunity for me to make a huge difference! In three years I have grown my team "the party poopers" from a small 9 person family team to one with over 40 members who raised nearly 2/3 of the total funds of our entire Nanaimo walk last year. I could not do it without the support of everyone else but the excitement that I feel about attending this event with all of my friends and family, both genetic and medical, must be contagious! I have been known to look forward to the heel n wheel as a time of love and acceptance much like I do Christmas and I am already counting down the days!! I truly encourage you to get involved with your local heel n wheel and I guarantee you will feel this love and support surround you and engulf you in hope for a brighter future. One where we will no longer need to walk to find a cure, because we have found it!

Shelby

BC/Yukon YAC Rep

Learn more about the Heel n' Wheel here.