Exploring the Running Journey with Dr. Bonnie Henry: A "Run For It" Podcast Special
In a compelling episode of the "Run For It" podcast by Frontrunners Victoria, join the renowned Dr. Bonnie Henry as she shares insights into her passion for running, health, and resilience. As the Provincial Health Officer of British Columbia and a prominent figure during the global pandemic, Dr. Henry's perspective on the importance of physical activity, mental well-being, and finding joy in everyday moments offers a unique blend of inspiration and practical wisdom. Discover the personal side of Dr. Henry and how running has played a crucial role in her life, all brought to you in an engaging conversation that transcends the typical health and wellness narrative.
Rob Reid: [00:00:20] Our special guest today, Dr. Bonnie Henry, brings a wealth of worldwide public health experience to her current role as the provincial health officer of British Columbia. She played a key role in fighting SARS in Toronto in 2003 and the Ebola outbreak in Uganda in 2000, among other crises. Her press briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic, broadcast across various media, became must-watch events for all British Columbia residents and increasingly for people across Canada. Dr. Henry lives and runs in Victoria, and we're going to delve into that today. It's a real honor to have you here, Bonnie. [00:00:59][38.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:01:00] Well, thank you so much. It's wonderful to be here. [00:01:02][2.3]
Rob Reid: [00:01:03] I must plug your books. I spent the weekend reading your book. You and Linda do such an outstanding job. Though not an avid reader, I'm usually too busy moving around. Still, it was great to read that book, and in your other book, "Soap and Water," it's just common sense, as it says. It's almost like listening to your mother, so to speak. So there are great books out there for the public to get a hold of. [00:01:30][27.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:01:31] It's funny, thinking about the book my sister and I wrote. I hear that my sister is a very good writer; apparently, I'm okay. It really is a memory of a time when there was so much we didn't know. Looking at it now, it seems strange that all of that stuff was new and, in many ways, frightening at that time. [00:01:55][23.4]
Rob Reid: [00:01:55] Yeah, it seemed a world away. How are the new shoes? Have you tested out those new shoes that you were mentioning? [00:02:01][6.1]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:02:02] I haven't gone for a run yet, but I did wear them around the house yesterday. Oh, that's. [00:02:05][3.5]
Rob Reid: [00:02:05] That's good. There's something wonderful about getting new shoes, and they had spring to them. Yeah, of course. They make you run faster, too. [00:02:13][6.4]
Rob Reid: [00:02:13] So what got you into running, going back? Was it something in the Maritimes? Like, did you? I mean, the scenery is great there, as well as here. Did you get into it at any point? [00:02:22][8.9]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:02:22] It was more challenging to run in the winter where I grew up. I got into running more when I was in university. I played, believe it or not, basketball. Those who know me, I'm not very tall, so I had. [00:02:39][16.3]
Rob Reid: [00:02:39] A good guard. [00:02:40][0.3]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:02:40] I'm sure there are some people who think that. I also played field hockey. Once I started getting into sports, running became a way of training. Right? One of the first runs I ever did was one of the first Terry Fox runs. Oh, okay. At that point, it was like, wow, ten K's a long way. Hmm. I ran all through university and medical school because it was something you could just do without needing much. I went to medical school in Halifax, and even in the winter, being able to go down to Point Pleasant Park to run, to be outside, in the air, to breathe and push yourself a little bit. So it's been with me for a long time, although my first marathon, I mostly did shorter runs, you know, ten K's. I remember doing the Times columnist ten-course. [00:03:43][63.2]
Rob Reid: [00:03:44] Yeah, they're coming up on their 35th anniversary this spring. [00:03:46][2.6]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:03:47] Did you participate in that? I did the very first one. I didn't realize that 1990 was the very first one, and that's when I moved out here to Victoria for the first time. Yeah. Yeah.
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Rob Reid: [00:03:56] You spent time in the Maritimes and then San Diego and Toronto. [00:04:00][3.9]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:04:01] Right. After medical school, I worked here in Victoria for a few years. Oh, okay. I was even a physician in the Navy for part of that time. Then my now ex-husband got posted down to San Diego. So I spent a few years down in San Diego, and that's where I ran my first marathon, actually. [00:04:21][20.3]
Rob Reid: [00:04:22] You ran the San Diego event. [00:04:24][2.3]
Now, I'll guide you on how to break this content into two pages. Since the current content is not too lengthy, we can divide it roughly in the middle. I'll indicate the point where you can consider breaking it.
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Certainly! Here's the transcribed content for Page 3 and 4, with complete sentences for improved readability:
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Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:04:24] The San Diego marathon. And then I did the first-ever rock and roll marathon in San Diego, which was a couple of years later. [00:04:34][9.7]
Rob Reid: [00:04:34] Was that in the month of June, Was it? Or in what month do they have that one? [00:04:37][2.6]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:04:37] Oh, gosh. I'm trying to remember now. The San Diego marathon, the first one I did, I believe, is in October. Oh, okay. [00:04:44][7.1]
Rob Reid: [00:04:45] Okay. In the fall. [00:04:45][0.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:04:46] Yeah. We were trained through the summer. I remember having to get up really early, and I'm a morning person, so. Good. Yeah, but it got pretty hot in San Diego in the summers. We used to do our hour-long runs early in the morning. [00:04:58][12.0]
Rob Reid: [00:04:58] Right. Yeah. Now, health, medical, and running early in the morning, Would you eat much before your run in the morning, your training runs, or would you not eat anything or. [00:05:09][10.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:05:10] No, You know what I do? I have to have my coffee. Oh, okay. That's one of my mottos: I run for not to write, but I have black coffee. Oh, okay. And a banana. So I like to have a banana before I run. And then obviously water and I usually get Clif shots or Clif Bars for really long runs. Right. But interestingly, one of my things. So I've had two marathon running partners, one in San Diego and then when I came back to Toronto, was running marathons there. Both my marathon running partners hated bananas. [00:05:48][38.0]
Rob Reid: [00:05:48] Oh, interesting. [00:05:49][0.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:05:50] So I had to switch up. Yeah. One of my peers I used to train with in San Diego, she was from Australia. And so I can't stand the smell of Vegemite on toast. Oh, so you had a degree in it? No bananas, no Vegemite. [00:06:05][14.9]
Rob Reid: [00:06:06] Oh, fair enough. Yeah. And you? How many years did you have in Toronto where your runs along the waterfront there or did you run. [00:06:13][6.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:06:13] Up the waterfront. Actually, I did the Toronto marathon. But we also did a couple of ones in different places. I've done the Napa Valley Marathon. Oh, did the Chicago Marathon. So my running partner in Toronto is still one of my best friends. We were actually just traveling together very recently. She qualified for Boston when we ran Chicago, and I missed it by five years or 53 seconds. [00:06:47][33.4]
Rob Reid: [00:06:47] Oh, no, that's not fair. [00:06:48][1.1]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:06:50] But you know what? We did the Chicago marathon in 2021, and it was in October. So it was a month and a bit after September 11, right after the attacks. It was one of those feelings of being here in solidarity with. Right. Thousands and thousands of people. So it was quite an event. [00:07:12][21.7]
Rob Reid: [00:07:12] Yeah, especially Chicago. Such a large event. And we hate to lose you the same weekend as the Royal Victoria Marathon to Chicago, but yeah, everybody's got a full marathon. Yeah. And so how many have you run then? How much time have you put into marathon training? That's a lot. [00:07:27][15.3]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:07:28] Well, I've run eight. Oh wow. And I have to say I stopped a couple of years ago, and that's a whole story in itself. I always thought I had ten in me. Okay. But my right hip didn't agree. [00:07:42][13.8]
Rob Reid: [00:07:43] Okay, We all come up with something. [00:07:45][1.9]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:07:45] Right here for my left knee. [00:07:46][0.9]
Rob Reid: [00:07:46] Left knee? Yeah. That balances you out in an awkward way. Yeah. And I got to say, like Napa, because you've run Napa, this is just between us. But, I mean, yeah, I had some really good ones down there, and you got to know the organizers really well. Yeah, it was nice having a point to point. [00:08:01][14.7]
Rob Reid: [00:08:03] As opposed to something else, right? Yeah.
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:08:22] So that's all right. [00:08:23][0.6]
Rob Reid: [00:08:23] You know, calm and very radiant to watch out for. Yeah, but you said Napa. Should I bring up the topic of wine? [00:08:28][5.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:08:29] Oh, sure. [00:08:30][0.8]
Rob Reid: [00:08:31] Now, do you, you're more into wine than just drinking it periodically. [00:08:34][3.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:08:37] Yes. Only in moderation. Yes. No, quite a few years ago, 2006, which seems like ages ago now, when we moved from Toronto to Vancouver, we met some like-minded friends. So there were six of us that started a winery in this welcoming valley. Oh, close to here. So I'm still, I've done everything from planting to packing to crushing. Wow. And, of course, the exciting part around tasting wines. And I'm still one of the owners. We expanded our ownership group now. And, of course, since I've been in this position that I'm in now, I haven't had anything to do with the day-to-day. Right. Winery. But I'm still really proud of the wines we make. And yeah. [00:09:21][44.7]
RobReid: [00:09:22] Yeah, B.C. should be really proud of what they produce. And it's, it's like when we go to Napa every once in a while or not. Napa, Narmada, you know, I call it sort of, I call it Napa North, you know, sort of thing. So a very popular place. Have you got a scenic run that if you had to go and just do one run tomorrow where it would be. [00:09:40][18.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:09:42] You know what? We are so blessed living here. And like I say, I'm a morning runner, so. 5:30, 6:00. Along Dallas Road. Right? [00:09:54][12.0]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:09:55] But later. But yeah. Yeah. You know, just those beautiful mornings where we have the most wonderful place to run. Yeah. So I live quite close to Dallas Road, and I have a, you know, depending on how I feel, it can be anywhere from six to 8 to 10 K that I can do just along there and then, you know, longer runs if they need to. But on weekday mornings, just going out and breathing the air and watching the wildlife. [00:10:22][26.7]
Rob Reid: [00:10:23] Yeah, exactly. [00:10:23][0.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:10:24] And you have you getting through Beacon Hill Park so you can see the deer and the eagles, and we had owls this year. Yeah. And of course, because. [00:10:32][8.5]
Rob Reid: [00:10:39] And you running along there, I mean, we sort of pinch ourselves every day. I think some of us that, you know, have moved here. We're really fortunate to be where we are and it is the environment. And that's why it's like whether you're running in a forest or a long Dallas road, it's just a wonderful place to be. And I I'm just amazed, having started the business 35 years ago and how many people are running right now, it's just it's just boomed. And it's so great to see so many people have found this activity. Right. And it makes you think about just the benefits of running. And it's it's physical. And a lot of people run against the clock to get, you know, improve their performance. But it's a lot of it's a mental health break, which many people in high major positions during stressful times of have needed and you go out with you have some Pacers that take you out and do they how do they keep up with you? Do they have to be at a certain level of fitness or. [00:11:38][58.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:11:39] Well, some of them are not runners. Oh, okay. Yeah. You know, this is the thing. And from the very early on in the pandemic, you know, I encourage people in D.C. to get outside and go outside and play because when you're going through such a stressful time like that, you know, being outside, being able to find those moments of beauty and joy in our life is so important for our physical health, but also for our mental health, right, in times of stress. And it was very hard because, you know, as I became a more of a public figure, it became unsafe for me to go running by myself, especially in the mornings when it was darker. So I had to stop for a little while. And, you know, one of the sad things is that I ended up having security protection protective detail, right? So when they sat me down and said, you know, this is what's happening, we've been watching the threats, I said, okay, I run, right? [00:12:40][61.3]
Rob Reid: [00:12:41] So you took a
team on, and you had to train them. Were you their fitness instructor? [00:12:44][3.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:12:45] Some of them are. Some of them are very good runners. Yeah. A lot of ours, so right now have a variety of at first they I think they all felt like, oh, well, you know, we can keep up with her and not that I'm fast. Yeah, yeah, if you haven't run for a while doing five or seven or ten K can leave it for people. Yeah. So a few of them got broken, unfortunately. [00:13:07][22.2]
Rob Reid: [00:13:07] No, no. They couldn't get. [00:13:09][2.0]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:13:10] Out. [00:13:10][0.0]
Rob Reid: [00:13:10] They couldn't get on the bike. They could have got on a bike. [00:13:12][1.7]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:13:12] Oh, now, now some of the guys and girls on the team ride a bike with me. Oh, so you may see them riding this morning as it. We realized that it probably wasn't helpful if they were, you know, in pain and not able to respond to something. Right. [00:13:27][15.3]
Rob Reid: [00:13:28] Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. They don't get stress leave or they don't. Yeah, they don't get coverage for their running injuries. [00:13:34][6.6]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:13:35] But I'm just very grateful to have them because it's allowed me that freedom to go out. And it's sad that I have to have a protection detail. But on the other hand, you know, it's it's such a relief that I've been able to go out and run again. Yeah. And did a couple of the races. So yeah, that was good. [00:13:53][18.8]
Rob Reid: [00:13:54] We missed you this year, but you were on a walk, I understand, somewhere. [00:13:56][2.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:13:57] I was. I was doing some hiking with my former marathon running partner. Oh cool. In that in France and Spain. Yeah. Oh, that's great. Yeah. Last year, I know my protection detail. They were great. They like the first time we saw them. [00:14:11][14.3]
Rob Reid: [00:14:12] Now are they allowed to win their age category or something? If they have a good day. [00:14:16][3.1]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:14:16] Yeah, they could. Yeah. Yeah. [00:14:18][2.4]
Rob Reid: [00:14:19] So you don't listen to music because that wouldn't be safe when you're running if you had to choose some running songs or something. What what would those be? [00:14:27][8.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:14:28] Oh, you know, with Tom Petty. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Running Dreams. And there's a lot of really good running songs. Yeah, but no, I don't. I like to. I like to actually just listen, I when I first started running, I remember those old Walkmans and I had a big Sony Walkman that I could run with. Yeah, but it just never I just like listening. And now I find it almost meditative that I listen to different sounds and tune in on these different sounds. You know, I'm in tune with my own pain every morning. [00:15:04][36.0]
Rob Reid: [00:15:07] Yeah. And I guess, I mean, if. [00:15:08][1.0]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:15:08] My joints talking to me. [00:15:09][1.2]
Rob Reid: [00:15:09] Oh, no. And it can be I mean, it's obviously a good mental health break where you leave everything at the door when you leave. But it can be a creative time as well. I imagine you find for, you know, solute solutions to things. [00:15:22][12.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:15:22] You know. Exactly. Yeah. To be able to think and just and I also find and I can't say this enough especially in the last three years, in three and a half years, I just I'm so grateful for being out there every morning. [00:15:37][14.6]
Rob Reid: [00:15:38] Yeah. Yeah. So for. [00:15:39][1.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:15:40] Every morning that I'm able to get out there. And I appreciate the time and the time where I'm just disconnected and, you know, talking sometimes to running with or just, you know, being outside and appreciating. [00:15:54][14.0]
Rob Reid: [00:15:55] Yeah. And we're so glad. I mean, just, you know, if we, you know, marathoners that are listening, you know, just being able not to run, you can't go out for a run. I mean, that would be really tough, right? And that's stress on top of stress one doesn't need. So, you know, it's so important that you can get out there and do that every morning that you want to run it. Are you have you got any running goals down the road? [00:16:14][19.6]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:16:16] Yeah, so sure. One of those things I said I had thought I had ten marathons in and I had some a lot of pain in my knees in my hip, and I have arthritis in my knees, which happened, and I ended up in the. So around 2010, 2012, there was a period of time of about four years where I didn't run because I was having so much pain and I was going through some different things in my life. Moved from Vancouver to Victoria and my husband and I ended up splitting up. But then I realized that I needed running in my life again. So I just, you know, I went to see a physio, went to a gym to start working on muscle balance. I changed the way I run, so I run much more on my four foot two toe and just took it slow. So I if I when I run now, I am just grateful for every moment that I'm out there, right?
I don't wear a watch, until recently, I just recently got an Apple Watch. But yeah, I don't sleep time myself. I don't put pressure on myself and if I'm having a bad morning and it's not feeling good after a few minutes, I'm right. And I found that has been so good. Yeah. And it helped me get into a better state of mind. And so prior to the pandemic, I got back up to running half marathons and was feeling really good about it. So I'm trying not to put that pressure on myself. And I think that's, you know, people like natural born runners, like you can run with it. [00:18:03][107.5]
Rob Reid: [00:18:04] But I mean, yeah, we have that same, you know, you have to choose your parents wisely. What is your family athletic, then? In a lot of ways. [00:18:13][9.0]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:18:14] Not at all. [00:18:14][0.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:18:15] Okay. I remember when I told my parents I was training for a marathon. My mother's like, no body. Why would you want to do that? [00:18:22][7.3]
Rob Reid: [00:18:23] Why Terry Fox, Why would you want to run across Canada? Said body sort of thing, right? Yeah. So that's that's typical, you know, I mean, in my case, I mean I had a I had a dad that had a heart condition, but he was back in the Mad Men days where they drank heavily and smoked and he sold life insurance. He couldn't have life insurance because of his genetic heart defect. Um, he was gone when I was six because he didn't make it through the surgery, you know? So for me to pick up a shoe and put that on somebody's foot and I know they're going to get out walking and running.
Preventative health is so important. And so every day I feel like I can contribute to that, Right? It makes a difference. And then also the running has been, you know, my therapy and it can be for so many. It's like our program in Victoria, every step counts that we started through Kool aid. You know where, getting a walking and running makes a difference, right? And if we can grasp our health and take control of it, you know, we can we can do all kinds of things, you know, and we see so many people get more self-confidence. A lot of us wouldn't have done half the things that we maybe have done if we hadn't run that marathon. Right. You know, that finish line. [00:19:34][70.6]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:19:34] That's important. I say that to people all the time. You know, nobody can ever take that away from your marathon. Right. And I thought a lot about that in the last three and a half years, you know? Yeah, yeah I can marathon. You can do, you can get through. Yeah I think I did use a few running analogies sometimes, but they don't resonate with everybody. [00:19:51][16.7]
Rob Reid: [00:19:51] Not everybody. No, no. But in Victoria, you know, we're fortunate. It's like the Blue Zone documentary on aging, where they travel the world to different spots, where there's a high population, high, you know, high, big number as far as age goes, and they're active in the quality of life that they're able to, you know, live through or live is is very impressive. And what factors play into that? Right. So and I'm wondering if we can create the blue zone in our region here with we've got cycling, we've got nature. You know, people are running, we've got the weather for it, right? So I think that we could become. [00:20:31][40.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:20:32] Like, you know, nature of it too. Yeah, I think a rustic is being lonely, but it it's very much a community. [00:20:37][5.4]
Rob Reid: [00:20:38] Yeah. I mean I you know, Jonathan and Wendy at the clinic, you know through Nick that runs our clinics and that where we're getting 200 to 300 people out I would have never guessed we get that many people and we appreciate so much you sending us that video a couple of years back. You know where I was standing outside the store saying, don't come into my store right now, you know, because of the pandemic. But, you know, you sending that video, thanking us for, you know, getting people out there and running and that makes such a difference. And the more we have that preventative health model, you know, hopefully we can save the health industry a lot of dollars and people can get through the door and get attention if they really do need it. But people are going to have a better quality of life. And, you know, we could be a blue zone in the Victoria region. [00:21:18][40.3]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:21:20] There's so many things in this region for older people as well. My my father in law, we're all still very close. You know, he was part of a walking group that a full walking group. And it started doing that, getting out there and moving. But also, we know that loneliness and social isolation is something that affects people's mental health and physical health, too. So how important it is to them to get out. And these last few years have been hard done on people that way and, you know, on young people as well, where they've not been able to participate in group sports for a period of time in school for although thankfully we had school go back, you know, in June of 2020. But we recognized how important it was for young people to have those opportunities for social connection and an activity. [00:22:11][50.7]
Rob Reid: [00:22:12] Yeah. And we're seeing a growth with trail running as well. And there's so much of the younger, if I can say that, because everybody younger than me right now, you know, doing trail runs and that and that's become a real community where they they finish their trail run and there's food and a social time. But whether you're, you know, walking or and walking maybe frustrated playing golf or something or, you know, hiking up Mount. Doug (PKOLS), there's so many activities that we can do in our area. But does it transfer over, though, if if let's say you're you're running and you you that's your physical activity, biking or running, does it transfer over to other areas, let's say for like for diet for instance, do people care about making a choice with their diet that can be healthier or what is healthier? Or and does any of this lead in to even making a difference globally as far as the we've seen a lot happen with global warming, for instance, you know, and different things, you know, make a difference for that. Like there were summer days this summer that we couldn't run in some areas of Canada because of the smoke. Right. So should runners care about that? I mean, eat in the heat? [00:23:21][69.6]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:23:21] We do need to care about that. [00:23:22][1.0]
Rob Reid: [00:23:23] Yeah, that's right. Yeah, because it's noticeable. But do you think runners are willing to I wonder how many what percentage of runners make a step towards diet and other areas for healthier living, so to speak? [00:23:34][11.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:23:35] I don't know the answer to that in exact numbers, but I do know that studies have shown that you tend to group these things together. So people who start running start walking, may at one point say, well, you know, I'm not going to change my other habits. I'm going to run so that I can, you know, have more of this or that. But over time, people do change. They change their habits. They realize that they feel a lot better if they're doing if they're drinking less, for example, or, you know, not smoking anymore. I don't know how many people have quit smoking, how many people have used exercise, whether it's walking or hiking or biking or running to help them deal with substance use, help them deal with trauma that's in their lives. So I think there is lots of studies that show that these go together, that people who start healthy habits pick up other healthy habits along the way. Right. [00:24:29][53.6]
Rob Reid: [00:24:29] I mean, you've been involved with the World Health Organization and, you know, they sort of call out various things from smoking to processed meats, even, you know, like we wonder what causes cancer. While there's obvious things that, you know, cause cancer and whether we can, you know, somehow make a difference with some of these areas or whether whether people are listening and whether it's a matter of changing behavior through attitude. You know, so education and the province did a great job in reducing the smoking. I remember coming out here 35 years ago and, you know, people would ask you that question. You want smoking or non-smoking in the restaurant. It hopefully I just want some good food and fresh air, you know, sort of thing. But, you know, the smoking. [00:25:06][37.1]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:25:07] On airplanes I was talking about, oh my God, you know, we're worried about vaping because it's a way for large tobacco companies to get young people addicted to nicotine. Now we're seeing that. So we've started an education campaign to help people understand what's in vapes and that they're not innocuous necessarily. [00:25:25][18.5]
Rob Reid: [00:25:26] Yeah, and hopefully we can transfer that over into other areas that are, you know, eating up our health care system with patients that do need support for those reasons, you know, it makes a difference. Yeah. So were you running this weekend? Are you going? Do you get out on a weekend? Do you have more time on a weekend to get a run in? [00:25:46][19.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:25:46] I try. You know, I'm working mostly six days a week now. Okay. I yeah. And the gym that I go to, I run there on Saturday mornings and they have a circuit. US. Oh, nice. I like to do that. And then I spend a bit in the office. But, you know, I like to do a longer run on Sundays. We did one this week and often I. I'll put it in like I try to run to do something. So I ran from where I live along Dallas Road and up over the hills to to okay. Right. Oh, okay. Okay. So you got through? [00:26:23][36.8]
Rob Reid: [00:26:23] Yeah, You got through the tweed curtain. That's exciting. [00:26:25][1.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:26:25] Yeah. Yeah. So it's just gets more and more beautiful round, you know? Gonzalez points to cattle point or not Cattle point, which I always forget where you're looking out over. [00:26:37][11.5]
Rob Reid: [00:26:37] The King George Terrace. [00:26:37][0.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:26:39] Is King George Terrace. And you get the golf course and. Yeah. [00:26:42][3.3]
Rob Reid: [00:26:43] So you don't have to do much traveling right now like you're you're here for I don't want to say flu season, but you're here for what's going on. [00:26:49][6.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:26:50] That's all. I travel a fair amount still. Oh, do you? I'm off to Ottawa next week and Toronto just for me this year. Things have picked up a bit. Oh, yeah, it was. It was challenging because I was traveling a lot with my role before the pandemic. And then, of course, we were doing everything virtually. But now we realize again, it's that sometimes you need that in-person connection, right? Yeah, make a difference and get things moving. So there's a couple of new committees and things that I've been involved in and oh, well, they're finally getting together again now. Yeah. [00:27:26][36.4]
Rob Reid: [00:27:26] Yeah, it's nice to be able to actually meet in person and not have to worry too much about, you know, whether it's going to, you know, create a cluster or whether the numbers are going to go up. And I just heard today from Nick that we've got a walk run that's going to happen at the end of October, the 24th of October. So that's exciting. And that's one of our big, bigger walks that we've had. And this one is a 10k walk. So we're really excited about that. [00:27:53][27.2]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:27:54] Good. Good. [00:27:54][0.2]
Rob Reid: [00:27:55] Yeah. And there's more interest. I mean, I got stopped today by a woman that said, you know, she lives downtown here and she's like, is this the store? I said, Yeah. She says, Oh, I'm so glad I found you because I've heard about this walk run and I've been looking for something like this to do. And so this is exciting. You know, so we're starting to hear a bit more
about that and more people are wanting to know. And, you know, when we talk about the running and that sort of thing, you know, the one thing I always think about is those that are in our community that, you know, we're more fortunate. We can go out and buy a pair of shoes and get a good pair of running shoes. But what about those that can't afford it? [00:28:26][31.5]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:28:26] That's a real challenge. And, you know, I know you guys have been really involved in supporting those sorts of things. But it is, it's a real challenge, particularly for kids. And we know, you know, the First Nations Health Authority and FNHA, that whole piece about getting people active. But, you know, in this region, you know, we're so fortunate because we have things like the Mustard Seed and we have other groups that do that that really try and help people have access to the things that they need for health. And that includes being able to get outside and get physical activity. So how do we support that? And I think there's so many great community initiatives that are going on, but we need to do more of that because it makes a huge difference. [00:29:02][36.3]
Rob Reid: [00:29:03] Yeah. We've been we've been very lucky to be able to help. I know I think it was six years ago we helped out one of the local schools with some shoes and things and and helped start up the track program there. And then, of course, we were able to help out some of the other communities that were, you know, trying to get people in need. And so we've been fortunate that way. And we appreciate all of our customers, whether they're buying socks, shoes or whatever they're buying, it all goes back into that program. So it's great. Yeah. And, you know, it's it's it's interesting because, you know, I find, you know, in some cases, people go, oh, you're just buying another pair of shoes. But we had a person come in that had never bought a new pair of shoes before. And, you know, we spent quite a bit of time with him and he put a pair of shoes on and, you know, I don't know what you said to him, but he started running down the sidewalk and he was like, he came back in, he had tears in his eyes. And he's like, I've never had a new pair of shoes before. And he was so excited. And it was it was so touching. And, you know, so for us, that was just a pair of shoes. But for him, it was it was a life changer. [00:29:56][52.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:29:57] Absolutely. And I think that's so important to recognize that, you know, physical activity, and particularly things like running, it doesn't take a lot of resources to be able to do it. Right. You can do it in whatever you've got, whatever you can afford. And, you know, those sorts of things make a huge difference. And I know there's lots of great groups in the region that are supporting that for kids. You know, I think about the Harriers and there's some great Indigenous running groups as well that are really doing that with with kids, particularly. [00:30:25][28.0]
Rob Reid: [00:30:25] Well, even I think the the Hartnett family and, you know, what they've done for the running community is amazing, you know, and, you know, the cross-country programs and all of that sort of thing that, you know, is there that we need to tap into more and more, you know, as we as we develop. And the store has been fortunate to be able to be a part of that. And and yeah, it's it's exciting. And I think there's so much more that we can do. And, you know, one of the things, I guess, you know, talking about you know, you mentioned earlier about, you know, creating, you know, this zone, like, can we create something where, you know, Victoria is is a running community? You know, and I think we are becoming that. And it's so exciting to see how many people are getting out there and walking, running, cycling, you know, I see more and more people and and being able to get into our parks and being able to get into, you know, I live in view Royal, so I can go out and, you know, go out to the E & N trail or the Galloping Goose and. [00:31:20][54.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:31:20] That's important to see. Yeah. [00:31:20][0.0]
Rob Reid: [00:27:27] So instead of doing those 4 a.m. Zoom calls or things like that. [00:27:32][4.9]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:27:33] It tends to be 2 a.m. in Geneva. Oh, my goodness. Okay. Also I was on Yeah. So I get up and do those and then go back to bed. [00:27:40][7.2]
Rob Reid: [00:27:41] Oh goodness. That must be hard. Do you see a big turnover with some of the people that you're dealing with or is it still a lot of the same people over the last few years globally? [00:27:49][8.4]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:27:50] You know, this this last few years has been really hard on a lot of people. So there has been quite a lot of turnover. Um, some of the key people are still the same as a lot of the people I worked with in different groups in and with the W.H.O. have moved on to different roles. Um, it's, you know, it's just been such a challenging time, right, coming out of the pandemic and inflation and now, you know, conflict in the world. It's, it's a challenging time for. But and that's for, you know, for me being able to to spend 45 minutes or an hour just outside running or with somebody or by myself. And it's it's times that helped me put things in perspective. [00:28:34][43.9]
Rob Reid: [00:28:35] Have you had any mentors or runners that you've ever wanted to meet? Or books that you read around running? [00:28:42][6.7]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:28:43] Yeah, I used to read a lot about running. Okay. You know, it always amazed me that the very first women's or female marathon was 1984. Evangelist Yeah. And of course, the winner. Whose name? [00:28:59][16.0]
Rob Reid: [00:29:00] Johnny Benoit. [00:29:01][1.1]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:29:03] Benoit Well, we'd say bonsoir, but yeah, it's terrible. You know, she's somebody I've always admired because, you know, it's like, yes. [00:29:10][7.2]
Rob Reid: [00:29:11] She has been to Victoria quite a bit, you know? Yeah. We had a brief meeting once and yeah, she had family going to school in the region at one point, so she came out here. But, uh, yeah. [00:29:22][11.0]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:29:23] You know, the other thing that amazes me is the ultra marathoners and these ultra long distance runners who are women who run the one, Right. Some of these. It really shows you that all of those misconceptions that we're several generations ago about, you know, how exercise is harmful for women is really. Right. [00:29:49][26.1]
Rob Reid: [00:29:50] Yeah. Part of your body is not going to fall out on the ground, that sort of thing. Yeah. Yeah. So it's pretty amazing. And the ultra trail runs have really picked up and it's really impressive, right? Yeah. Yeah. So never underestimate. Well, I mean, you, you know, you've, you've really set an example for us as being more than an ultra marathon in a lot of ways with your work and, and your caring for all of us and any last words you like to share. [00:30:11][21.8]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:30:13] Oh, just, you know, I'm just very grateful to be here. You know, if you have to be stuck somewhere in a global pandemic, this is a pretty good place. And encourage people to do go out there, you know, whether it's with somebody else, with your dog, whether it's walking or running or just moving and moving outside and remembering to find those those moments of beauty and joy every day. Those are the things that keep us going, especially when things get rough. Right. [00:30:40][26.8]
Rob Reid: [00:30:41] Well, thank you, Dr. Henry. And, you know, you lead by example and we're really, really lucky to that you landed here with both feet in Victoria and in our region. So thanks for everything and hope to see it. Well, wave to you on the trail and and we won't try to keep up with your Pacers out there. [00:30:58][16.8]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:30:58] Yeah. Well, thank you very much. And thank you for having me. Thanks for all you do. You know, you've been an icon in the writing world here for a long time. [00:31:06][8.2]
Rob Reid: [00:31:07] Just lucky to be here and appreciate the community that we can build. It's so important. So. Makes a difference. Well, we'll see you out on the road. [00:31:13][6.6]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:31:15] All right. [00:31:15][0.1]
Rob Reid: [00:31:15] We'll keep in touch. All the best. [00:31:17][1.3]
Dr. Bonnie Henry: [00:31:18] Take care. [00:31:18][0.2]
Rob Reid: [00:31:19] Thanks, Dr. Henry. [00:31:19][0.6]
Nerdy Summery
In a compelling episode of the "Run For It" podcast by Frontrunners Victoria, join the renowned Dr. Bonnie Henry as she shares insights into her passion for running, health, and resilience. As the Provincial Health Officer of British Columbia and a prominent figure during the global pandemic, Dr. Henry's perspective on the importance of physical activity, mental well-being, and finding joy in everyday moments offers a unique blend of inspiration and practical wisdom. Discover the personal side of Dr. Henry and how running has played a crucial role in her life, all brought to you in an engaging conversation that transcends the typical health and wellness narrative.