Friday May 20th, the day after Dave Nordin’s 25th wedding anniversary, he began a journey that will take him 598.5kms…on foot! Nordin is taking on the amazing challenge of walking from Calgary to Saskatoon, 598.5 kms, in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and is hoping to complete this in 30 days.
The kick-off event was held at 9:30am on Friday May 20th outside Ca’puccini Theatre Café, just west of City Hall in Calgary and his first stop that evening was in Chestermere.
The kick-off event at Olympic Plaza included survivors sharing their experiences, music, a couple of speeches and the enthusiastic departure of any number of hardy supporters, tastefully adorned in “Walking Back to Saskatoon” finery.
Nordin has worked as a geophysicist in Calgary’s oil and gas business for 31 years. But, with the current economic downturn, there’s very little work these days in his field. Like so many oil and gas professionals of his age, the current downturn is forcing him to consider retirement–though not necessarily by choice.
“The walk represents an opportunity for introspection and personal exploration. My wife will drive the chase vehicle, and a month on the road will give both of us time to consider what the next phase of our lives may hold.
The physical and mental challenge of this month-long trek back to my roots is appealing, on many levels, at this transitional stage in my life” explains Nordin.
Nordin explains where the idea of the walk came from my saying, ” I was raised on a small family mixed farm, near a town called Snowden, 60 miles NE of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Snowden was so small; both town limits signs were on the same post. I am the youngest of 4 children, born in 1956, which puts my age somewhere between 30 and a Walmart greeter”, chuckled Nordin.
“I am walking from Calgary to Saskatoon to raise money and awareness for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. There is history of both diseases in my family. Dad had his first heart attack, at the age of 57. My Uncle Ernie, the former “Babe Ruth of Kinistino”, and the man who taught me to throw a curveball, had died of a massive stroke in the fall, not long before. It fell to us to pick up the duties around the farm.
My father passed away in the fall of 1980, after his third heart attack and I was in 2nd year at University of Saskatchewan. He and mom talked on the way to the hospital and he said, “My job is done, the kids are on their way”. He was a fine athlete as a young man but had gained significant weight, as he got older. While he didn’t lead a sedentary lifestyle, there wasn’t much cardio exercise either. Never smoked or drank but a farmer’s diet and genetics conspired against him.
My mother died in January of 2006, of congestive heart failure. Between her and Dad, there’s a high chance of my heart being the limiting factor in my long-term health. Probably 10 years ago or so, my doctor began to be concerned about a bad valve in my heart. I went through a variety of tests to understand the issue. At the end of it all, the decision was made to not operate. I have a faulty ticker but it is difficult to quantify the long-term effect it might have. My approach has been to control the things I can – try not to gain weight, exercise regularly, de-stress my life – all those things the Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends.
To continue the fight, I came up with the idea of a fundraiser based on “Walking Back to Saskatoon”. The Heart and Stroke Foundation and the geoscience social group I founded (which is also the oldest society on the Saskatoon campus), Ore Gangue were natural fits as beneficiaries”.
Nordin explains the walk saying ” it doesn’t appear that difficult; 20-30 kms per day, with a day off every 5 days or so, to golf (carts only!). Walking that far in a day is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other for 7 or 8 hours. Doing it day after day for a month will provide the mental and physical challenge that I’m looking forward to”.
At the time of this article, Nordin had already raised $8000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation but is always looking for more donations. You can follow his journey and learn how to donate by visiting www.dnordin.wix.com/walking-back
