New Westminster resident to continue A Run to Remember on Friday at River Market

New Westminster resident to continue A Run to Remember on Friday at River Market     BY ALFIE LAU, THE RECORDNOVEMBER 30, 2011     For eight months, David McGuire has been running across Canada and this Friday, his journey will take him back to his hometown. On Friday, between 4 and 5 p.m., McGuire will be at the River Market at Westminster Quay for a celebration of the run he began in April in St. John's, NL. It's a long journey for the Royal City resident who sustained a brain injury in 2005 and was told by doctors he would never walk again. McGuire refused to give up and he began running as part of his rehabilitation. He completed his first marathon in 2006, saying: "I want to inspire people, especially youth, who are at highest risk for brain injury, and think it won't happen to them. I also want people to better understand brain injury. ... I'm not the same person I was before my injury, but I have a lot to offer and am living my life to the fullest. I'm just a guy with brain injury, but I can run, and I have a story to tell." That drive and determination led him to A Run to Remember, in which McGuire is running a marathon a day across the country to raise awareness of brain injury. BrainTrust Canada, a community rehabilitation association with a focus on brain injury prevention is coordinating the event that is scheduled to end in December in Victoria. "David is truly an inspirational human being," Magda Kapp, director of communications for BrainTrust Canada said in a press release. "With his help, we hope to change the face of brain injury in Canada. Brain injury is much more prevalent than people realize and virtually every day, there is a story about concussions and brain injury. People are more aware of the fragility of their brains, but we need to bring more awareness to this issue." As of Wednesday, McGuire was running outside of Agassiz in the Fraser Valley. For the event, BrainTrust Canada set up a Legacy Fund with proceeds to promote brain injury prevention and develop new support strategies for persons living with brain injury. Contributions can be made through www.runtoremember.com, with options such as buying a km for $20, or texting the word "BRAIN" to 45678 to contribute $5 on your phone bill. For more info, contact BrainTrust Canada at 250-762-233 or go to www.braintrustcanada.com. www.twitter.com/AlfieLau © Copyright (c) New West Record