Help Kirby raise money

Kirby Kid Race BCCH Children's Hospital Love Story

Are you the ONE?

Are YOU a distance-maker?

"Picture this! You're standing at a distance looking out at a world whose leaders capture your imagination and stir your heart to move, but you are frozen in your tracks at the mere sight and majesty of their individual and collective power. Thoughts tell you that you can't belong to such a pack of warriors in life who mentally and physically excel beyond measure. They lead fearlessly. They are people who gather together from all nations and who rhythmically unite in one place for health, happiness and in their love to help support others to reach their full potential. They are local, national and international citizens who love to show up and tackle life for cultivating formidable mental health, healthy lifestyle, physical resilience and well-being in order to defy the odds and gain comeback power for facing life's challenges. 

Each ONE has a GIANT reason for their forward motion and drive to not give up. Their unstoppable mindset launches their heartbeats into a race against the clock which is, indeed, measureable by their astounding footprints. They're people who take their place in life, at the start line, with divine reverence and awesome responsibility who are determined walkers, wheelers, runners, and cheering enthusiasts. They are the ONES to go the distance for crossing their International Marathon 42.2 km medal finish lines which unifies them all. Stopped in my tracks, at the mere sight of a Vancouver, BC run group in 2001, I recognized it was a feat out of my human reach. It's a sport with a fantastic formula modelled by ONES belonging to Running Room Canada and YMCA-YWCA training groups who are well-practised, committed race participants who I saw float above the ground by their run beat across the Burrard Street bridge. Utterly captivated and desiring the same superhuman power that they all possessed, I tried to shift my defeated perspective. All the while my heart was pounding out of my chest as though I was back in the myriad of emergency, hospital room theatres as I had flashbacks to my non-stop, prayerful vigils in the hospital zone where corridors and overnight stays had become a familiar, second home to me. 

A 42.2 km marathon distance was far beyond my imagination's grasp when I'd been absorbed in the 24-7 care, by years, of my beloved for ensuring my British Columbia Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit NICU newborn baby survived who was unexpectedly born with undetectable brain by CT scans at birth. Living by split-seconds, in watch over my child's very survival, with dozens of medical specialists in our daily life, this was my normal given my child's multiple, physical and intellectual disabilities. My sole focus, and no. 1 life passion remains to champion my child and for my child's each breath to be safeguarded in caregiving so that my lionhearted, loving powerhouse shines all the days that life affords us! I knew how to become a children's hospital NICU newborn baby advocate and maternal force by sheer instinct, will, work, hope, faith, and trust in a higher power, exercising relentless endurance for the round-the-clock care of my superbaby from Day 1. My infant's chronic, back-to-back, emergency, brain surgeries brought about coast to coast, life-saving operations in Canada's British Columbia's Children's Hospital and Toronto SickKids Children's Hospital with a lifetime of gratitude for our world's frontliners and for passerby's kindnesses. 

My thoughts returned to a distance of 42.2 km that was unreal to me. Yet, my younger self and 7 year old inner voice seemed to grow louder and louder within me even as I grew more fearful to see joyful runners hit their strides as a pack and cross the Burrard St. bridge coming closer into view. A mighty, invisible force steered me in a direction of fearlessness, with a no return stance, which literally propelled me out of my state of anxiety for mindfully pivoting to a BOLD, fresh perspective to "outrun my fear and run my heartbeat with love in life." It was, in fact, the striking example of leadership of my own superhero and phenomenal children's hospital NICU newborn baby who has survived and who thrives over decades.The ONE who brilliantly exercises how "to outrun fear by running life with love" each second of my wonder child's life while in the hands and the trust of devoted strangers, at first sight. Quality of life I have learned, by my child's living testimony, is a conscious, spiritual practice of "walking by faith, not by sight" who was born blind and who uses loving breathwork to perfectly communicate and model the bravery and indomitable spirit which ALL international children's hospital NICU newborn champions model, the world over. Unshakeable NICU feats from the get-go which my own ONE distinguished gentleman and superhero lives by. How do you run the 42.2 km distance? One breath at a time, and one step at a time. Our international children's hospital NICU newborn babies are our global race of leaders and teachers. 

My ONE reason to show up and train in 2001 with Running Room and YMCA-YWCA marathon training groups is crystal clear to me. My ONE reason for achieving unthinkable, athletic feats as a Boston Marathoner, 100 km ultramarathon, and children's hospital fundraising marathon ambassador over decades in my international career as a professional educator is crystal clear to me. My ONE  reason to survive and recover from my multiple accident injuries abroad with comeback power to safely walk-run this year's 2025 BMO Vancouver International Marathon 8 km is crystal clear to me. We are absolutely powerful beyond our wildest dreams for comeback power by showing up, breathing, and running our heartbeats with love. Our living testimonies reflect a world of daily, ultramarathon, medal champions as a human race by our shared, real-life storytelling. Why not start by trying ONE fun run! Finding ONE reason for movement is the key as your own gatekeeper! International children's hospital NICU newborn babies are heroic, mesmerizing, stupefying distance-makers who contribute to our highest potential by their example as massively-loving, difference-makers who show up, never give up and lead the NICU pack to become life's best versions! International children's hospital NICU newborn babies are ALL my ONE reason to return to run Vancouver Canada's nation's LARGEST BMO International Marathon and fun runs on May 4, 2025 precisely 22 to years later to the exact date of my Vancouver International Marathon Boston Marathon 42.2 km (26.2 miles) Qualifying Finisher Time on May 4, 2003. A life feat thanks to Running Room and my RR pace bunny! My 2003 Vancouver International Marathon Boston Marathon qualifying time was 3:49:20. 

This journey always reminds me of my ONE reason to make a comeback with a smile and put my best foot forward in life thanks to the ONE I live for and who I emulate! I started my run journey by walking. I got shin splints along Vancouver's breathtaking seawall. My purpose was to move for FUN, pray and run my heartbeat with love. Training is the strategic edge I learned and the ultimate, injury-free pathway to healthy, sport performance, recovery, and high endurance athleticism. How do you return to the zone that you once excelled at when you've experienced loss of any kind to derail you and show up a different way? You simply click your heels together 3 x like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz remembering your ONE reason to show up for going the distance. I am utterly grateful and truly honoured to show up, one more time in life, and with all my heart try my best to go the distance in a healthy, happy, fundraiser for NICU newborns, ONE to "outrun fear and run my heartbeat with love in life." Humanity's heart-wrenching loss is a call to action for a new pathway which is not for the faint-hearted. AND the best news is just like me, I am ONE of your kind who can succeed to adapt believing that what seems unreal in a split-second can be transcended by faith in the next breath to be the author and finisher of our uncharted, life chapters. "We're worthy to try for it's in the journey that hidden surprises of a lifetime pop up waiting to celebrate out lives." -Kirby Patton, Kirby Kid Race Founder, CEO

Are YOU the ONE? 

Are YOU a distance-maker? 

Are YOU a difference-maker? 

If yes, RUN to help me go to the BMO Vancouver Marathon 8k distance on May 4th by your kind donation to Canuck's Place Children's Hospice

Thank you for running your courageous heart with your kind donations to Vancouver, British Colombia BC Canuck Place Children's Hospice whose children I am running for in the BMO Vancouver Marathon in the 8 km fun run on Sunday, May 4th. As a passionate BCCH Children's Hospital parent, 2007 BCCH Children's Hospital Foundation Vancouver Marathon 42.2 km superhero run ambassator for their new BCCH children's hospital, and a keen BCCH children's hospital and Sunny Hill Heath Centre Volunteer, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous support to BC Canuck Place Children's Hospice whose teams deliver the utmost, exceptional pediatric, palliative care in out precious children's final days with infinite love.

-Kirby Patton, Dip. Ed. Nons.B.A.BCT.OCT

https://www.canuckplace.org/

 Are YOU the ONE? 

If yes, RUN to my Kirby Kid Race children's hospital NICU newborn fundraiser-a 31 Day May 2025 Challenge! 1 Move = $1.00 Donations to help aid our miraculous children's hospital NICU newborn babies!

https://kirbykidrace.carrd.co/