Page 20 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 37

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SHINES

THE

SPOTLIGHT ON
1397 Brookdale Ave.,

Cornwall OUR MEMBERS

Multisport Club Athlete Profile: Sheila Lafave

Loves Being Active and Loves to Travel...

with Multisport, She Can Do Both

By Molly Kett to amazing adventures, all through
running.”
rowing up, Sheila Lafave was At this point, Lafave began to
Gquite active. She grew up connect with runners in her home
playing softball in a field with her area. She says running with friends is

seven sisters and nine cousins in the much easier. They formed the Raisin
Glendale Subdivision. In winter, she River Ramblers, who would meet

skated on the icy fields and when for a run every Sunday followed by
she grew older, she played organized
breakfast. “Those breakfasts were
broomball. It wasn’t until Lafave dangerous, at least to our wallets,
turned 40 that she began to “dabble”
because before we knew it we were
in running.
booked for a trip or had one in the
“I thought ‘Fitness at 40’ was a planning stages,” says Lafave. “A
good motto to own,” says Lafave. few were girls-only trips but often
“Every summer, I’d work my way we were following Wendell’s 50
up to a 10k and every winter, I’d try state goal so we booked places like
to hang on to a 5k. My husband, Chicago, San Francisco, Wichita, and
Wendell, was very encouraging but Euguene. One gal has travelled with
he was doing much longer distances us to so many of our marathons that I
and at a faster pace, so I ran alone. call her my sister wife!”
In that period, I ran the Great Raisin
Through the 50 states club, Lafave
River Footrace 5k and then the 11k, at
that time organized by Bill Chambre. and her husband have been to many
historic locations. Now part of the
That was the extent of my competitive
running. Eventually, I would build Marathon Globetrotters club, they
up to the Boilermaker 15k and then have expanded their travel horizons

finally my first half marathon in St. further. Lafave has been to the top of
John, New Brunswick.” Masada, ridden camels in Petra, and
slept in the Serengeti. For Lafave,
When Lafave retired in 2005 after travel is a big part of her athletics. Photo Cutline: Sheila and Wendell Lafave after finishing The Little

30 years teaching at what is now Grand Canyon Marathon. Sheila was the CMC Female Runner of the
called S.J. McLeod Public School, she In 2010, Lafave heard about year three years running. Photo Submitted
decided to “up her game” and train the Cornwall Multisport Club and
for her first full marathon. “With the decided to join and participate in their I think how fortunate we are to live encourages it. “Most people who

incentive of doing it at the home of well-organized events. “Our group in a country and have the resources watch running or multisport events
the marathon, Athens, Greece, I took will never be the fi ttest or fastest but, that allow us the freedom to run. I feel inspired by what they see. My
the plunge and started to run longer in supporting and encouraging each try not to take this for granted. advice to them would be to turn that
distances,” says Lafave. “We went other, our lives are enriched,” says Along with this, how lucky we are to inspiration into action. Get a good
through Jeff Galloway’s Apostolic Lafave. “In the running community have the Cornwall Multisport Club pair of sneakers and head out the
Tours and met some wonderful people there is a saying, ‘I liked you before I organize the monthly events that keep door,” says Lafave. “Bottom line

and had a very unique experience. even met you’ and it’s a safe bet that us motivated and challenged” is, get active. Do something. Keep
That is where we learned about the 50 that would be the case if you join a moving. If for no other reason, just
For those who haven’t tried
States Marathon Club which opened club like the Cornwall Multisport be motivated by the statement ‘I run
multisport, Lafave strongly
up a whole new set of doors leading Club. because I can.”