Perdita Felicien: Cheer For Perdita, Cheer For Right To Play!

Wednesday, June 17

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.