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process, simply putting one foot ahead of the other, was
as tried and true as they come. A riding bicycle in his
basement; some athletic undertakings here and there; and
finally, an off-the-cuff one kilometre jog from the corner
store to his home.
A regular local runner pointed the new
convert in the direction of Vince Perdue and the Sudbury
Rocks Running Club.
This group is as welcoming as they come,
and with mainstay Paul Washchuk at his side, Wilson covered
a 10-kilometre trek with the crew, much to his surprise.
“I was slower than the group, but
Paul stood by me, and we ran the 10 kilometres,”
Wilson recalled. “That was the catalyst to it all.
Running became something that we did every day. It was
our social life.”
Friendships within the group were plentiful.
Still are.
Family vacations were booked around destination
races, with fellow Rocks runners all part of the mix.
Wilson was a regular, adding the marathon to his running
resume – along with several other distances.
In 2017, however, his first wife (Elaine)
was diagnosed with cancer, passing away in March of 2019.
Sweethearts since their high-school days, Wilson endured
the grief and pain and loss – not always dealing
with it well.
Thankfully, he never drifted all that
far from the group he so loved.
“The Rocks are such a tight group
and they checked in on me and brought me right back into
it,” said Wilson. “But I went through some
ups and downs.”
Last October, it reached a tipping point.
“I went through some personal things
where I had to go away for a while and get treatment,”
he said.
There was little to no foreshadowing of
the role that running would play in his recovery.
“It was just something I found that
I had to do,” said Wilson. “I wasn’t
accepting the treatment and I was using the running as
a brain clearing thing. They caution you not to go from
one addiction to another, but running is healthy, it’s
mind-clearing.It was the first thing I did in the morning.”
Wilson knew enough not to fight this fight
alone. Connecting with Cal McGibbon and the crew at Healthy
Living, he expanded his fitness regimen beyond just running,
the cross-training paying dividends – a revelation
that was clear as he ran the Chilly Half Marathon in Hamilton
in March.
“I got stronger as the race went
on and posted a decent time for my first race back,”
said Wilson.
“That was really rewarding. And
like most runners, as soon as you finish that race, you
somehow forget all of the pain that you just went through
and you start looking for your next race.”
Toronto gave way to Montreal (April) –
and as Wilson sat at the airport, waiting to return home,
the thought of criss-crossing the country while incorporating
his love of the environment that is a 21-kilometre race
organically came to mind (though he did note that he is
fully aware of a similar quest that Vince Perdue had conquered,
albeit over several years and at the marathon distance).
With Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Alberta
now checked off, Wilson is truly appreciating the journey.
Montreal: “I loved the city, enjoyed
the people and had so much fun doing it.” Winnipeg:
“I have never seen a city support a race so much
in my life. The people were cheering you on the entire
route.”
Maintaining his sobriety is a day-by-day
goal – though Wilson can keep his mind busy with
other priorities. “I am definitely a lot more focused
(on running) than I have ever been. I am definitely training
harder and more consistently.
“And I’ve been fortunate enough
that every single race since the Chilly Half, my time
has gotten better.”
The finish line is now clearly in sight
– and for Wilson, that is a very good thing, whether
he crosses it or not.
Randy Pascal is a sportswriter
in Greater Sudbury. Pursuit is made possible by our Community
Leaders Program.
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