Months of relentless training paid off for Chilliwack teenager Christina Peet-Williams, who finished fourth at last weekend鈥檚 Canadian Cross Country U18 Girls Championship.
The race was exciting, with Peet-Williams finishing a mere 39 seconds out of top spot.
She covered four kilometres in 15 minutes and 10 seconds, and was happy with her performance on the national stage.
But this story is more about what she did to cover 3,458.55 clicks from Chilliwack to Ottawa, Ont.
After placing second at the U18 BC High School Cross Country Provincials on Nov. 6, and finishing third at BC Athletics (club) Provincials on Oct. 23, the 17-year-old was ecstatic, ready to represent British Columbia and take on Canada鈥檚 top runners.
BC Athletics was footing the bill for her flight to Ottawa and she felt she was in top form.
She was due to depart Nov. 25, but when the only open road out of Chilliwack (Highway 7) closed Nov. 23, she was crushed.
鈥淚 was pretty disappointed because all season I had trained really hard and prepared myself to get to this meet and I was really excited to go,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 did have to reflect on what happened and appreciate what I did still have, because there were a lot of people who were more negatively affected by the flood, but overall I was disappointed.鈥�
Enter Shaun Kumar and the West Coast Pilot Club. When flooding began the previous week, the 91原创-based group of airplane pilots stepped up to help. They started flying to and from Chilliwack, bringing in supplies and transporting out those who were trapped.
Peet-Williams鈥� father reached out to the club at the 11th hour, and within hours she was seated in a small prop-plane piloted by Kumar, flying over the flooded fields of the eastern Fraser Valley.
鈥淚t was very, very last minute, and I鈥檓 really appreciate of the West Coast Pilot Club for what they were able to do,鈥� the teenager said. 鈥淚 felt really fortunate and lucky that these people were able to help me out even though they were very busy shuttling food and supplies for people who were stranded. After being so disappointed that I might not be able to go, to get that chance was really rewarding.鈥�
Peet-Williams鈥� one previous flying experience came on a commercial jet liner, not a little airplane.
鈥淭o see the prairie was really incredible, but it was devastating too see all the drowned-out farmhouses and think of all the animals that passed away because of it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was really cool to be up there, but it was a surreal feeling. It鈥檚 one thing to see pictures and another to see it with your own eyes.鈥�
Peet-Williams said she鈥檒l be forever thankful to Kumar and the West Coast Flying Club.
鈥淭hey gave up their time, energy, and resources to get me to where I needed to go,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ven amongst flying food and resources to stranded communities, they were able to help me out without hesitation and that makes me very thankful.鈥�
A GoFundMe has been set up to help fund the West Coast Flying Club鈥檚 volunteer activities, and it can be found online at
As of Thursday morning (Dec. 2), a total of $5,145 had been raised towards a goal of $15,000.
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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