Help Katrina raise money

I am running this half-marathon to raise funds for the BC Cancer Foundation in honour of my dear friend, Sarah Williams, who passed away from neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer on June 2, 2024, after a brave three-year battle.

Sarah was my friend long before being diagnosed. Losing her at 29 years old is the most difficult loss of my life and has completely changed me as a person. She taught me what it truly means to face fear head-on, to keep going even when things feel impossible, and to find strength in the darkest moments. Sarah did the hardest thing a person can do, by fighting with everything she had against something beyond her control, while still managing to carry herself with positivity, strength, and even moments of levity and laughter. 

Since her passing, I’ve been navigating grief while searching for meaningful ways to honour the life she lived beyond cancer. Sarah was adventurous, always open to new experiences, and someone who truly embraced life to its fullest. Knowing her changed the way I approach my own life, she inspired me to live “more life”, to say yes more often, to take risks, and to lean into the moments that scare me. With that in mind, it seemed fitting to pursue one of my lifelong goals of running a half-marathon in honour of her. I’ve never been a distance runner, so while this may seem like a simple/easy task to some, it’s significant to me. 

Although Sarah was born in Saskatchewan, raised in Alberta, and ultimately passed at Rosedale Hospice in Calgary, I am choosing to raise money for BC Cancer Foundation to honour the time she spent in BC. It’s here where our friendship blossomed, it’s here where most of our memories are together and she is here, everywhere I look, in the cherry blossoms, in the snow-capped north shore mountains and the sunsets on the beach. 

This run is just one of the many ways I will continue to honour her, by choosing the hard things, and committing to living more life, every single day. 

🩵

Sarah’s Story: A Guiding Hand