Daughter finds joy in mother’s footsteps
Photo Friday
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- On Thurs. Aug. 13, 2020, the base of the Charlie Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain sits on the Detroit River. The Peace Fountain was out of order, leaving only the dry base. The City of Windsor stated, via Twitter, that “Currently the Peace Fountain is undergoing some minor changes.” A timeline for restart was not given, the City stating “we hope to have it restored soon.” Photo by Zachary Balogh
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- This Lego castle display in the basement of a home in Windsor, Ontario is just one example of a growing interest in construction toys for kids and adults. Lego bricks, puzzles, craft kits and outdoor toys are just some of the items included in rising toy sales in 2020. With life at a standstill and many still quarantining, people continue to search for at home entertainment, especially homes with children. Toy sales in the U.S. were up 16 per cent in the first six months of 2020, with more than $300 billion US worth of toy sales happening online.
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- A tree intertwined with a lamppost following severe storms last weekend. On Sun. July 19 severe storms raced across the Windsor area with heavy rain and damaging winds, resulting in some damage. Tornadoes were also reported across Southwestern Ontario where a total of six tornadoes were confirmed by Environment Canada as of July 23, 2020. Photo by Zachary Balogh.
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- This weekend Windsor-Essex will experience a heat wave, with temperatures between 33.8C and 35 C, with the humidex closer to 37C. Residents are urged to stay hydrated and cool by drinking plenty of water, wearing light coloured clothing and limiting time outdoors. Saturday night through Sunday and Monday, with the heat and humidity, there is the possibility of severe weather. Have a way to receive watches and warnings in case of a power outage, and seek shelter in the basement or area with no windows if storms turn rough. Photo by Zachary Balogh
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- The moon at the peak of the penumbral eclipse. on Sun., July 5, 2020. Just after 1:00 a.m. residents across Windsor-Essex and North America could observe a lunar eclipse known as the penumbral eclipse. This occurs when the Moon passes by Earth’s outer layers, which are called the penumbra and are not clear to the untrained eye. Photo by Zachary Balogh.
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- Some beachgoers cooling off by Lake Erie at Seacliff Park in Leamington. Summer is here and in full swing. Temperatures for the region will be in the 30sC all week. Across the river, the city of Detroit may break a record for the longest stretch of consecutive 90F days; the current longest stretch is 11 days back in 1953. Photo by Zach Balogh
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- Izaiah Hermiz splashing in Lake Erie at Seacliff Park in Leamington, on a warm summer day. Summer officially began on Saturday, June 20, 2020, and Ontario is anticipating an above-average season in both precipitation (rain) and in temperatures. According to AccuWeather.com, this summer may be a stormy one with strong storms that may carry gusty winds, which could become a nuisance to residents along Great Lakes, as the higher water levels may cause flooding. During this summer the site also notes that Ontario could see an uptick in tornado activity across the province with warmer temperatures and higher humidity. Photo by Zachary Balogh
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- A sign displaying the phrase End Police Brutality on a balcony on Riverside Drive East, after a Black Lives Matter march in Windsor last week. Anti-racism demonstrations and protests against police brutality have taken place around the world for the last two weeks, following the deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo by Zach Balogh
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- A Pride rainbow flag flies in the South Walkerville neighbourhood of Windsor, Ont. June is Pride Month, dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Usually, Pride would include numerous community events, especially the Pride parade. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on large events like parades, these will not take place locally this year. However there will be online activities: Boston organizers, for example, will hold Zoom meetings for virtual activities like drag parties and even dancing. Midway through Pride Month 2020, the United States the Supreme Court ruled on June 15 to uphold workplace protections for the LGBTQ+ community. The historic ruling reinforces that existing civil rights law protects workers who are gay or transgender from employment discrimination, including being fired for their sexual orientation. Photo by Zachary Balogh
By Mandy Matthews
An annual 5K race in Windsor has helped Shaunah Docherty to connect with her family.
Shaunah is running in her mother’s footsteps by finishing this year’s Spring Thaw. Twenty years ago, after Shaunah was born, her mom Laura, having never been a runner before, took her first steps into her racing career. Laura started out as a social runner and got hooked after she ran her first 5K race at The Running Factory’s Spring Thaw.
“Something inside said you should start running,” said Laura.
Shaunah and Laura have similar stories. They both grew up surrounded by friends and family who were runners. They both began running in their 20s and the Spring Thaw was their first race.
“It’s just liberating to be able to go outside and just have your music and pick your route and how fast you want to go and how long and when you’re done, the feeling that you get is just in a better mood,” said Shaunah, who is a vegan and practices yoga to help with flexibility and stamina.
The choice to start running this year came from a new year’s resolution. Shaunah said her family never pushed her to run, but her mom suggested to her that a new learn-to-run clinic was starting at The Running Factory.
“I’ve always wanted to run, but I think this was a good starting point,” said Shaunah. “I feel like I can focus on it more.”
Shaunah said she signed up for three races this year without thinking, including the Detroit half marathon on Oct. 19. She registered for the Spring Thaw online.
The Running Factory raises money through the event each year for Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. This year the event brought in $5,000. Gary Belanger, co-owner of The Running Factory, said 305 runners participated in the race, fewer than what he anticipated due to the cold weather.
Over Laura’s 20 years of experience, she’s longed for more. Now having completed two Ironmans, the Boston Marathon and a triathlon in England last year, Laura is keeping her daughter optimistic about her future in the running community.
“I just have fun running. I just like doing it and I would like to travel a bit to do other races,” said Shaunah. “I’m not really into biking and swimming yet, but if I do, it would be more into the future.”
