Clay Williams has jogged thousands of kilometres in support of mental health initiatives — and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Williams arrived in Peterborough, Ont., on Monday night after running from Bobcaygeon as part of the ninth annual Canal Pursuit for Mental Health. In the first event in 2015, considered a “one-off,” he ran 700 kilometres along the Trent-Severn Waterway and Rideau Canal, beginning in Port Severn and ending in Ottawa.
The goal was to raise awareness of mental health issues while raising funds for the Mood Disorders Society of Canada’s Defeat Depression Campaign.
The first two years, Williams completed the course by himself. Now the event has grown, with up to 40 registered runners participating in 10- or 20-kilometre segments in their waterway communities to help the cause, raising over $110,000.
Several runners left the Peterborough Lift Lock on Tuesday morning — Day 4 of the pursuit — en route to Frankford. This year’s edition is focusing on first responders and the military.
“While I was training for this originally, I got to learn about Canada’s mental health system,” Williams said. “It’s in its infancy and it needs a little work.”
Before the initial run, he asked individuals suffering from depression, anxiety or post-traumatic distress disorder to sign a Canadian flag. He carried the flag during the full length of the run so “they don’t have to carry their burdens alone.” Now relay runners help carry the flag as they all head to Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Williams has seen first-hand the struggles of mental health, as his wife, daughter and sister suffer from mood disorders. Two of his older brothers also died by suicide.
“The biggest thing at the time was the stigma around mental health issues,” Williams said. “I’m not a therapist or a counsellor, and I can’t help people by talking with them like a counsellor would, but I can keep the conversation around mental health going, so that’s been the main focus of this run.”
Among the runners on this year’s run was Cory Robinson, who grew up in Peterborough but now resides in Belleville. He helped launch Tuesday morning’s leg of the pursuit and plans to do other jaunts in Belleville and Westport this week.
“I’m doing this mostly for the kids,” Robinson said. “I see a lot of youth and seeing their struggles over the last couple of years has really motivated me to get this done. To see what I can do to raise awareness because they don’t talk — just passing on the message to just ask how someone is doing … you never know.”
Robinson says he was honoured to return home to run along the canal he skated on during the winter and past some family farms in the area. He currently leads all fundraisers with more than $1,200 raised.
“It’s kind of neat to come back here and do something in an area that was so influential in my life,” he said. “It’s great to see (the run). It’s awesome to be a part of it because it (mental health) definitely needs to be talked about more.”
The pursuit’s donation page and updates can be found online.
“The Mood Disorders Society of Canada is very proud to support Clay Williams on this physically challenging campaign that exemplifies one man’s passion to make a difference as the team runs tirelessly,” MDSC national executive director Dave Gallson stated. “So too should we all stop and realize that mental illness affects us all and we all need to come together and support change within mental health in Canada.”
Williams says there are already plans being made for Year 10 of the pursuit.
“There are people I only see once a year on this run and it’s gratifying to see,” Williams said. “It’s not just me that drives this — I’m one of the main organizers but there’s no way I could do this without the help of all the people along the way.”
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