Miles for JPR

This one's for you, Dad

Throughout the month of September, I'm walking 90 kilometres in support of the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

I lost my dad to heart disease far too soon.

The truth is, he had the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. He was the person who showed up without being asked, loved without conditions, and made people feel safe simply by being there. The irony that heart disease is what took him will never be lost on me.

When he died, my world stopped. While everyone else carried on, I was left trying to understand how a life so full of love could suddenly be gone. What I've learned since is that grief isn't something you move past. It's something you carry. And if you're lucky, you find ways to carry that love forward, too.

This walk is one of those ways.

Every kilometre is for him. For the birthdays he should still be celebrating. For the stories he should still be telling. For the years he deserved to have. And for every family facing the same kind of loss that mine did.

I wrote on his birthday that the best parts of me are a reflection of him. I believe that with my whole heart.

So this September, I'll put one foot in front of the other for 90 kilometres in honour of the man who helped shape every part of who I am.

If you're able, I'd be grateful for your support.

Join me by walking 90K in September, make a donation of any size, or simply help spread the word. Every step and every contribution brings us closer to a future where fewer families have to experience this kind of loss.

We can do this. Together.

For my dad. For the people we love. For the time we don't get back.