Aurora woman cheered on as she completes marathon close to home

October 22, 2020 · 0 Comments

The weather over the past weekend may have been dull and gray, but 26-year-old Emma Clark spread a ray of sunshine around Aurora on Sunday.

She completed her first full marathon by running 42 km in under four hours, coming home to socially-distanced neighbours and friends holding the finish line and a banner to congratulate her.

Clark originally registered for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in January, with a goal to run half the distance.

“I wanted to run the half marathon as a commitment to changing my physical health and fitness. I diligently attended my favourite local gym, OrangeTheory Fitness, and received extra support for my nutrition, fitness, and accountability from the amazing coaches at AM Lifestyle Coaching, another local business. It transformed my life over the course of the winter months, and I began to feel really excited about athletic events,” said Clark, a PhD student in her final year.

Clark started with a small goal of running 10 minutes straight, to running a mile in under 10 minutes. A new confidence in her running abilities and the COVID-19 closures in March provided her with an opportunity to train harder.

“One day, the weather was beautiful and I went ahead and completed a half-marathon on my own. Getting this accomplishment under my belt, I changed my event registration to the full marathon, and set my sights on new training goals,” she said. “I was eight weeks into my training when the in-person event was cancelled. At that point, I had shared my goals with so many people, and had become so attached to the idea of completing this ‘bucket list’ item, that I decided to stick with the training and do the virtual event.”

For someone studying to become a child psychologist, Clark is an example unto herself of motivation and perseverance.

“I think I’ve always been someone who doubts myself, so this was the perfect opportunity to challenge my mindset, push outside my comfort zone, and learn that the only limits I have are the ones I place on myself. I wanted to make something out of an uncertain time and despite the many challenges life was throwing my way during closure, channel my energy into a positive project that I would always remember,” she said.

Clark is completing her final year of residency with the Toronto District School Board and Intergra Health Centre. Through the three laps she ran around Aurora, she not only finished the race, but also shared her journey with others, knowing very well she might have to share that she failed.

“During the actual marathon, I got to think a lot about how much my life, and I have changed in just one short year. I also had to dig deep and push through some really hard stretches.”

Running the marathon alone may have taken away from the adrenaline rush of big crowds and the group excitement, but it brought some special moments for Clark.

“I wasn’t totally alone. I had support from friends and family along the way who gathered (respecting distance, of course) at little fueling stations to cheer me on, and keep me going. Mentally, I thought of these people between each check-point, and was really overwhelmed with joy at the thought that these people cared so much about me and my goals, that they spent their day to help me finish. I don’t know if I could have finished without each one of them,” said Clark.

Clark has raised $750 in support of Giant Steps, a school and therapy centre for children with autism, and continues to fundraise with support from family and friends. She hopes to help children and families achieve their fullest potential by recognizing their strengths and fostering independence.

She hopes her own experience will come in handy, “Perhaps even help them realize, much like I did, that they are capable of more than they believe if they stick to it.”

By Kinjal Dagli Shah