Cole Choken, a 25-year-old man from the Anishinaabe First Nations community of Lake Manitoba, has been engaged in an epic run that has seen him criss-cross the continent in his quest to raise funds and awareness about the twin threats of diabetes and cancer.
"Cole had lost a number of family members to either diabetes or cancer," Cole's mother Brenda Choken said. "So in many ways, it was that kind of loss that sort of started the whole thing."
Cole's run had brought him through the region on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 8 and 9, as he was approaching the last leg of his unbelievable journey.
Starting in the city of Laredo, Mexico, Cole has been following a path that saw him run up along the east coast of the United States, all the way into Canada.
Taking a hard turn to the west, Cole then started towards his final destination, the city of Calgary.
Cole and his mother began their trek in January of this year.
"We've been making an effort to stop in the First Nations communities along the way to help raise awareness about these issues," Brenda said. "I think that keeping people aware is just as important as raising money for research and treatment."
For Cole, this is actually his fourth awareness run, and by far the longest to date.
"The first run was from Grand Beach to Winnipeg," Cole said. "That was in 2006."
"In 2007 the run was from Calgary to Winnipeg, and the third run, which I did in 2008, was from Winnipeg to Lake Manitoba First Nations," Cole said. "I guess I was kind of building towards this."
Now a slim, tall, long-distance runner, there was a time in Cole's life when the threat of diabetes was very real to him.
"At one point of Cole's life, he weighed 340 pounds," a flyer the pair distribute on their journey reads. "He [Cole] realized that he was a prime candidate for diabetes and cancer."
The final thing that brought mother and son to these fundraising and awareness-raising runs came in the form of a dream, which in retrospect, Cole's mother identifies as a vision.
"Cole had a dream one night," Brenda explained. "He saw in his dream an old man running down the road."
"The Elder turned back towards Cole as he was running and said, 'Come run with me Cole,'" Brenda said. "After that, we knew what it was that we had to do."
Working as a team of two, Cole and his mother equip themselves with a late model SUV, which Brenda drives behind Cole, and a small camper, pulled behind the SUV, which serves as Cole's home.
"Cole is doing this without any sort of corporate sponsorship," Brenda explained. "He put the money together to get this started by working hard and taking extra shifts in the restaurant he worked at in Winnipeg as a cook."
"It is kind of small, but it really has become like home for me," Cole said of the camper. "Even when we are offered hotel rooms or whatever, a lot of times I still end up sleeping in the trailer."
For Cole's stop over in White Bear First Nations on the night of Monday, Nov. 8, the Bear Claw Casino and Hotel offered a room, along with a breakfast and supper, to the two travellers.
"We really appreciate the support from Bear Claw Casino, as well as the Band Council of White Bear for their generous donation to the Cancer Care Manitoba Foundation," Brenda said. "We also want to personally thank Andrea Star and Charlene Eashappie, who worked so hard to set everything up."
On the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 9, Cole and his mother prepared to depart Bear Claw Casino with plans to stop and visit in the communities of Pheasant Rump and Ocean Man First Nations.
"We are in the last legs of the run, and we are still going to hit as many First Nations communities as we can along the way," Brenda said. "Besides the awareness we are trying to raise regarding cancer and diabetes, it is sort of nice to stop and see other communities."
"It is a lot like stopping at home, being with other First Nations people."
While the pair still have a ways to go to get to Calgary, Brenda admitted that the original plan was to end the run in Winnipeg.
"We were getting close to Winnipeg when Cole had another dream," Brenda said. "After we consulted some trusted Elders, they interpreted the dream to mean that we had to complete the run where Cole began his very first run, in Calgary."
"I guess it is just part of taking the whole thing full circle," Brenda said. "The runs, all four of them, are as much a spiritual quest for Cole and I as they are anything else."
During this run, donations were raised in the United States through the American Cancer Society.
In Canada, funds are directed to the Cancer Care Manitoba Foundation, as well as the Terry Fox Foundation.
Cole Choken maintains a Facebook page where people can GPS follow his run, as well as at his website, www.colechokencancerrun.com
