“Fast Eddy” run stops in Strathmore

Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

A young B.C. man is helping raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer by running across Canada – twice.
Eddy Dostaler, 27, left B.C. on March 1, 2015 and arrived in Cape Spear, Nfld. on Sept. 30. He then flew back to B.C. and drove across Canada doing school presentations. On Dec. 9, 2015 he started running again from Gander, Nfld., making his way back to Victoria where he hopes to end his run on Oct. 29 in Victoria.
On Aug. 30, “Fast Eddy,” as he is known, made a stop in Strathmore during his There and Back run. “I just thought [the run] was the right thing to do and to get people on board to get that awareness out to them,” said Dostaler. “Actions speak louder than words.”
Dostaler first came up with the idea to run across Canada for Alzheimer’s when he was 15 years old. His grandmother suffered from the disease and he decided to put his dream into reality by running in her honour across Canada.
Dostaler also supports breast cancer research and is running in honour of the late Dr. Tom Owen, his former professor from Thompson River University. Dostaler promised the professor that he would give his best to a worthy cause.
Dostaler has performed over 80 school presentations along the way and written over 2,500 letters to children. “Letters are probably the biggest thing that I did, that I take the most pride in,” he said.
Dostaler has been running alone and has depended on sponsors to help keep him going, and to cover costs for things such as a tent, running shoes and clothing. He has paid for all his food and has kept costs down by tenting roadside each night.
As for the journey itself, Dostaler said it has been hard, “and 90 per cent mental and 10 per cent physical. “It’s the everyday, average person that kept this run going for me. It’s been much more difficult than I thought it would be to break that awareness,” he said.
One of the highlights of his trip was when someone organized and invited him to a baseball tournament, and he appreciated it when someone gave him a cup of coffee.
Dostaler says he won’t run across Canada again but, “I’ll try and keep on inspiring people in some way, shape or form. Anything to help out. We’ll keep advocating for breast cancer, Alzheimer’s awareness and research funding.”
He encourages all people to help out in any form possible, even if it is simply helping to spread the word.
All money raised will be directly donated to local foundations. People can visit fasteddycanada.com to donate to the province of their choice, or they can donate to directly support Fast Eddy.