Mackenzie Caldwell

Here We Go!

Wednesday 15th Apr

What started as a personal goal has turned into something so much bigger.

I’m going to run 125km in May to fundraise for the Sick Kids Foundation 

Over the past 4 weeks, I’ve been training to run my first 10K race this June. Movement has always been a huge part of my life—I grew up as a competitive soccer player, and being active was something that once felt effortless. But in my early 20s, I was diagnosed with a heart condition that changed everything. Moving my body suddenly wasn’t so simple anymore.

A few weeks ago, inspired by some family members, I decided to try running again—and to my surprise, I fell in love with it. It looks different now. It’s slower, more intentional, and at times more challenging—but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m finding my way back to myself.

While starting my training, I came across the Million Reasons Run for SickKids happening throughout May. It’s a campaign dedicated to raising funds for The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to support life-saving treatment, groundbreaking research, and the care that children and their families rely on during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

As I read through the stories of these children and their families, something in me just clicked. This isn’t just a good cause—it’s personal.

My younger sister was a patient at SickKids, and I saw firsthand the care, compassion, and strength it takes to support a child and their family through something so difficult. Sick Kids made such a large impact on my family that I feel the need to give back.  Those experiences changed me. They’re a huge part of why I chose to become a nurse and am hoping to pursue pediatric care.

Now, as a new nursing graduate with a growing passion for pediatric care, I’ve been able to see healthcare through so many different lenses: as a patient, as a family member, and as a student nurse. And through all of it, one thing has stayed the same—the incredible impact that compassionate, life-saving care has on kids and their families.

So here we go, let’s run 125km🤍

I’m turning my training into something more than just a personal goal. I’m running for the kids, for their families, and for research that can change lives.

If you feel called to support, donate, or share, it would truly mean so much to me.

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