For country singer Tara Shannon, music and fitness fuels her
neighbor Jonathan Pitre, who attracted world wide attention with his rare disease, Epidermolysis Bullosa, his incredible courage to persevere without self pity, and the Ottawa Senators NHL team declaring him an honorary member. Shannon, a mother or seven, donated 100 per cent of all proceeds from Butterfly Child to Jonathan and his ongoing treatment for EB.
At that time, I spoke to Shannon from her home in Russell, Ont. over the phone about her latest single. It was released in June to help raise awareness of EB, in support of then 15-year-old Pitre, who suffers from the rare skin condition which causes the skin to constantly blister and tear at the touch much like a butterfly wing. I asked her how Jonathan was doing and happily, she said he is doing better.
Now, the wife and mother of five boys and two girls aged 10 to 24, leads an active lifestyle which is in concert with her passion for music. It was her husband, Dan, who introduced her to country music through the albums of Garth Brooks. She talked about her new album, “Unfinished,” and how her life has changed for the better. A few years ago though, Shannon was coping with burnout and depression, which was a wake-up call for her to get back on track with a healthy lifestyle and return to music full time. Cutting music out of her life only served to prove how much she needed it. Shannon said: “Jonathan (Pitre) was the reason to come back (to music).” It was an opportunity to renew her self in music while making better health choices and she hasn’t looked back.
One of her keys to healthy living, she said is, “I follow the Paleo diet (whole foods, lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats). I eat clean. I drink lots of water.” She adds, “For health and wellbeing, I practice Yoga, meditation, mindfulness in all things. Meditation is huge for me.”
On her album “Unfinished,” the title is in reference to shelving her recording career to raise her family and finally returning to the music that was for all intents, calling her back. She said, “We are all unfinished. And we never are finished. We are always working on ourselves.” Unfinished or not, there’s no doubt that Shannon is right on key with her music, her healthy lifestyle and her family. www.runwithit.ca Twitter: @christineruns Youtube Channel Run With It