Walking across Canada for hearts

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

A tornado, snow, heavy rains and a grizzly bear, these are some of the things that Erikki Valen, who is better know by Eric Valen, has had to deal with on his Coast-to-Coast Charity walk. Valen left Campbell River on Vancouver Island 35 days ago and has walked 15000 km to reach Strathmore on July 8. He is doing the walk in memorial of his mother Anja Minkkinen who died of heart disease about seven years ago and in doing so is hoping to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
“Basically what I am trying to do is create awareness about heart disease,” he said.
“It is the number one killer of all Canadians, especially women. I am travelling across Canada to raise donation and awareness at the same time.”
The 53 year old walks about 10-12 hours a day and hopes to raise about $10000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. He believes that he is currently sitting at around $1000, which he hopes to increase with public awareness of his cause.
Vilen’s daughter Amber Winnik turned him onto the idea to walk from Campbell River to Halifax, Nova Scotia after he lost his job. Vilen and his son were in the roofing industry in Calgary before the oil bust occurred. His son moved back to Ontario but Vilen had refused to move because he loved the mountains and the prairies. His daughter suggested he combine the two things his loves, walking and writing. He has been keeping a journal if his adventures and admitted it has been on full with danger but also made him feel closer to nature.
In order to prepare for the 6,393 km distance he would walk everyday from in Calgary, from Cranston to the Downtown area and back again. However, while he said this didn’t prepare him well enough he will not let this stop him form completing his goal.
“My faith and integrity will help me finish what I started.”
Hygiene is incredibly important to Vilen and he likes to keep clean-shaven. While in the mountain he was able to bathe in many of the glacier-feed rivers and lakes but is worried about how he will keep clean in the prairies where fresh, open water sources are harder to come by. He has funded the walk himself and prefers not to spend too much on it on gas station showers.
He keeps all of his supplies in doublewide baby carrier, which he calls his little red wonadaygo trailer. This includes his tent, fishing pole, food and clothing. He has outfitted the carrier to make it easier to pull up hills. He will continue on walking all throughout summer into the fall and hopes that by the time he reaches Halifax he will have raised the funding goals he has set for himself as well as raise public awareness.