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Sergeant on a roll with first-ever Army Run
Donna Casey, Sun Media, 19 Sept 08
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He probably could do the half-marathon without breaking a sweat but Sgt. Andrew McLean knows the five kilometres he'll cover this Sunday in the first-ever Army Run will be a one-of-a-kind experience.
McLean will park himself in a wheelchair and roll along side his friend Master Cpl. Paul Franklin, who lost both legs to a suicide bomber in Kandahar in 2006.
Franklin has warned McLean, a multiple winner of Ironman competitions, that wheeling the 5K at the inaugural Army Run event will feel like a marathon for his torso.
"He said he would tape my legs to the chair," said McLean with a laugh of participating in the downtown run Sunday.
"I'm going to be there with Paul and I'm going to be there with 6,700 other runners. We'll be feeding off each other," said McLean of joining Canadian Forces members from across the country.
Event organizers have been overwhelmed by registration for both the 5K and half-marathon which sets off at the Cartier Drill Hall Sunday morning.
Modelled on the U.S. Army Ten Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, the run is designed to connect Canadian troops with other Canadians.
'A BIG THANK YOU'
"It's about supporting the Canadian Forces, supporting the troops but also giving a big thank you to the Canadian public," said McLean.
The run is also a fundraiser for the Military Families Fund and Soldier On, a program McLean co-founded to help injured soldiers resume a healthy lifestyle.
Other injured soldiers will also lace up for the race, including Cpl. Shaun Fevens, who survived a bomb blast a year ago in Afghanistan that killed six fellow soldiers.
The 25-year-old Halifax native plans to run the 5K with his physiotherapist.
McLean said participants, including civilians who make up two-thirds of those registered, will be buoyed by the energy of the event.
"It's a show of unity throughout all the commands," said McLean of the strong showing among army, navy and air force ranks, including Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk and Defence Minister Peter McKay.
"In the end, all of our jobs go right back to the soldier standing in the front lines," said McLean.
