Janelle Halldorson lost her father to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) last August. After watching him battle the disease for eight years, and with her mother recently diagnosed with the same condition, Halldorson knew she had to take action.
“This is very personal to me, so I reached out to the BC Lung Foundation after my mother’s diagnosis to see if there was anything I could do to help raise awareness for COPD and BC Lung Foundation programs,” Halldorson said.
“We’re so happy that Janelle has taken on this initiative,” said Kira Roswell, senior marketing and communications manager for the BC Lung Foundation. “It’s always inspiring to see members of the community stepping up and wanting to be part of our work and support it.”
As a runner who enjoys the 5K distance, Halldorson created the Heroic Steps 5K FUNdraising Run, One Breath for Courage, One Breath for Hope, set for Saturday, May 3, at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park.
“5K is my limit,” Halldorson said with a smile. “They’re fun, and it’s a themed 5K, so we encourage people to dress up as superheroes. That’s why it’s called the Heroic Steps 5K. There aren’t really any themed runs here in Prince George, so we’ll have some fun with it.”
Halldorson, an educational assistant with School District 57, started running when her daughter Emma, now 12, was one year old. Along with her husband, Cole, and their seven-year-old son, Benjamin, who often joins her on runs by bike, Halldorson is part of a strong running community.
“I started running when one of my friends asked if I wanted to join a ‘couch to 5K’ program,” Halldorson explained. The ‘Couch to 5K’ program is an eight-week training plan that helps new runners build up to completing a 5K.
“Once I finished the program, I was hooked,” she said. “I love the way I feel after a run. Not just the relief, but the strength and the runner’s high.”
Combining her passion for running with the cause close to her heart, Halldorson was inspired to organize the fundraising event. When she visited the BC Lung Foundation website and read that one in five British Columbians live with breathing difficulties, she knew she was on the right track.
“One in five is a pretty high number,” Halldorson said.
COPD is a chronic lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe by damaging the lungs, narrowing the airways, and reducing airflow.
“It’s very important for me to do this run to raise awareness of COPD and other lung issues,” Halldorson said. “And if it’s successful, I’d like to host it every year.”
Halldorson’s daughter, Emma, has asthma, which further motivated her to start the event.
“There are many contributing factors to lung health in BC,” she said. “We live in an area where we’re surrounded by wildfire smoke for a good part of most summers, and that’s a risk for everyone.”
“Lung health is important for everyone, and the BC Lung Foundation is a non-profit organization that funds vital research for the entire province,” Halldorson added. “They even run asthma education camps for children aged eight to 10 who have physician-diagnosed asthma, and they provide a $1,000 travel allowance for those who live outside the Lower Mainland to attend.”
The BC Lung Foundation offers several programs to support those with lung disease.
“We fund research, provide education, advocate, and offer support programs focused on patients and caregivers,” Roswell said. “The Heroic Steps fundraiser is focused on COPD, and we also have several online programs, such as our Ask the Expert webinars, which are part of our education efforts. We also have an exercise support group led by a registered kinesiologist.”
Roswell added that staying active is a great way to maintain lung health, making the Heroic Steps fundraiser a perfect tie-in to the foundation's work.
Halldorson has set a fundraising goal of $3,000, hoping to recruit 150 participants, each contributing the $20 registration fee.
“I think that’s a pretty reasonable goal,” Halldorson said.
Participants are encouraged to run, walk, hop, or skip during the event, which is meant to be fun and inclusive for all. Halldorson is also looking for sponsors to provide water and snacks, as well as volunteers for traffic management, as the run will pass through the Millar Addition neighbourhood.
To register or donate, visit https://bclung/site/heroicsteps5Krun.
