THELMA CAREEN
In the spring of 2016, Careen ran her first road race, the Mews 8k. Two weeks later, she moved up to her first Tely 10 (a 10-mile race from Paradise to St. John’s, and one of the oldest and best-loved road races in North America) and she’s been hooked on running ever since. Through her local run club, Athletics NorthEast, she signed up to marshal at the popular Cape to Cabot 20k road race, and found it inspiring: “There’s pride and joy in being one of hundreds of volunteers that come together to make races safe and enjoyable for all the runners,” she says.
The following year, Thelma discovered her greatest passion when she started volunteering for the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletics Association for youth events, which led her to the annual Kids of Steel event for children to experience the sport of triathlon in a fun and safe environment.
Careen explains where her passion for volunteering comes from: “I do what I do because I love it,” she says. “I know that it takes an army of people, working together, to execute an enjoyable and safe experience for everyone who steps up to the start line, and I wanted to be a part of that; as a mom of two kids, Carly, 10, and Xavier, 12, I get particularly excited seeing the passion for running from the youth of our province.”
Kate Bazeley, a five-time Tely 10 champion, has three daughters who have participated in the Kids of Steel Triathlon. Bazeley says, “It’s people like Thelma who are the heart of the community and deserve all the praise for giving our kids the gift of sport.”
When Careen’s partner, local race photographer Greg Greening, is racing and she is not, she will grab the camera and take on the role of race photographer. At the time of writing, she was training for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon (her second marathon).