Running to remember – a marathon per day to raise awareness

 

David McGuire on his way across the country.Submitted

By Contributed - Kootenay News Advertiser

Published: June 08, 2011 2:00 PM 

Updated: June 08, 2011 2:23 PM

Courtesy Brain Injury Association of Canada

Most people don’t run anything close to a marathon their entire lives. David McGuire is running one every day, but, unfortunately, he forgets about most of what he has seen or experienced on the road.

McGuire, 38, suffered a brain injury nearly seven years ago that left him with short-term memory loss. Seeing a lack of resources for those with brain injuries, McGuire is expressing his anger and frustration at his own condition and that of others by running from one end of Canada to the other to raise awareness and money for brain injury programs like BrainTrust Canada.

McGuire says he’s not an athlete; he’s not a rock star or the relative of someone famous. He’s just a guy with a brain injury, who loves to run and has a story to tell.

He said his life changed after suffering the brain injury in 2005. He didn’t suffer a traumatic blow to the head, he just remembers waking up in the hospital seven days later with tubes in his arms, mouth and other parts of his body. He had part of his skull removed for almost a month to allow for swelling and had to be told by his family what had happened. He is unable to work because something as simple as completing a coffee order or completing a transaction with a customer are nearly impossible because he has no short-term memory, other than the snippets his brain chooses to retain.

“I’m kind of used to it now because I just assume I’m going to forget. I went through two or three years of trying to adjust and feeling sorry for myself. I can sit and feel sorry for myself, but I am still going to have a brain injury,” he said. “So I have decided to get out there and do stuff.”

After two years of planning, McGuire started his run in St. John’s, N.L. on April 1 and has run through snowstorms, fierce winds, a food illness and fatigue to complete about 37 km a day. “It’s definitely a way to see the country by running across it. Even the things my brain chooses to remember are pretty interesting,” he said, adding he’s looking forward to long haul ahead.

McGuire jokes about his condition in that even though some days are very tough, he usually forgets about it the next day and while he’d rather be home playing with his Xbox, he knows he must complete his journey.

People can support McGuire’s run by buying kilometers at his website www.runtoremember.com, by texting brain to 45678 or by mailing a cheque or money order to A Run to Remember, c/o BrainTrust Canada, 11-368 Industrial Ave., Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 7E8.