Cheer For Perdita, Cheer For Right To Play!

I am very excited to let everyone know about my fundraising initiative with Right To Play this season. I will be donating my Personal Best & my Canadian Record of $12.46 for each race I run this summer and asking Canadians and others to do the same. My season began in early April and my goal is to raise $7000 by the end of my season in late September, but I can't do it without you.

Visit  www.righttoplay.com/perdita to contribute. The site will update you on my races and results and I would appreciate you forwarding the link to everybody you know.

Racing For Right To Play 

I first became an ambassador for Right To Play after I won the silver medal at the World Championships in 2007. I love everything they stand for, helping disadvantaged children around the world experience sport and play. Especially children in refugee camps and young girls who are marginalized because of their gender.

Play A Right Of Passage

Play growing up in Pickering, ON was the everyday staple for me, I never thought twice about it. My sister Wanda and I would always play in the park even though our mom said we weren't allowed because of how dirty we got afterwards. We got so filthy playing in the sand and gravel that we would hop our neighbour, Mr. Allen's  fence and use his hose to  rinse our dirty legs and feet, then air dry on the walk home for dinner.  Our mom had no clue how much fun we just had and how great the dirt was!

Grateful to Be Back & Give Back

Sport has been a part of my life ever since I was nine and nearly twenty years later it has always been so important to me. Last year I unexpectedly had to miss the entire track season including the Olympics due to a very serious Lisfranc fracture. A part of my world that was so natural and constant was suddenly interrupted. I was told that racing again was very questionable and that any return could be unpredictable and less than world class.

That was heavy news and I worked hard to defy the odds and now have greater appreciation for this season and having my career back at the highest level. Through all of this I have also realized how essential it is to create opportunities for others who would never get the chance to play or experience sport. This is truly a special endeavor to me and I am so happy to be in a position to share Right To Play's message.

My next competition is The Canadian Championships/ World Trials in Toronto @ Varsity Stadium next weekend. 

Semi- Final: Friday June 26 @5:45pm & Final: Saturday June 27 @4:50pm

If you are in town please come out, I would really appreciate the support.

Thanks to everyone & please spread the word!

Perdita

XO

www.righttoplay.com/perdita

Look After Yourself, Look After One Another - Right To Play

I get a lot of requests to speak at functions and make appearances. It is always hard for me to say no, but some things just don't fit with my schedule. If I had to entertain the number of requests, I would be far from world class and my training would suffer. And the irony is all the requests would stop coming in because I'd suddenly suck.

My management company forwards all requests my way and even when we all know something won't fit, it is still important for me to be the one to say, "this won't work". 

However a request I always try to fulfill is individuals who want autograph photos or a short note of encouragement.

A few days ago I got an email from a mother out West, and when I read it I got goose bumps. This mother believes so fiercely in her daughter and how great that she can be she came to me for help. Her daughter happens to look up to me and she knows that anything I say would serve as some encouragement or a wake-up call.

 Her daughter dropped out of a sport she is incredible at, and is at an age where she is growing emotionally and finding her way. This mother had her daughter very early in life and knows sport can open doors and take her child places she could only dream of. There is a tone to her letter that suggests she refuses to watch her daughter repeat any of the mistakes she may have made.

 I got goose bumps because this was my exact testimony when I was 14. And it was my own mother who fought hard to get me back to track after dropping out for 2 years in high school. At that age I didn't know what an opportunity I was giving up.  I had a chance to excel and be great but I had no idea back then.

 How wonderful is this woman who will not stand idly by and let her own child's potential disappear because she is simply too young to know better. I admire her immensely and know one day (if she doesn’t already) her daughter will realize just how wonderful her mother is.

At that age kids don’t always have the life experiences to comprehend that this could be something they regret down the line.

 I hope I say the right things and make some kind of an impact. The fact that this mother came to me in this capacity humbles me and feels awesome at the same time. Thank you.

 Hats off to all the mothers out there that fight for the dreams of their children!

XO

P