My time as the 2012 The North Face Trail Ambassador for Ontario is quickly coming to end and I am now taking some time to reflect on what has happened during this season.

For starters I think the most satisfying thing was being associated with such awesome athletes. Chad Sawatzky (Sask./Man.) was always fast to praise others over himself; it is this type of humility that makes him such a great role model for others. He’s pretty quick for a big guy too even though he will deny it. Sasha Brown & Joanne Schmidt were both athletes that showed not only the depth of their talents as runners but also as writers and adventurers. It was truly a pleasure to read their race reports and see the photos of the places they get to train in and race. Michel Caron said more with his photos than any of us could with the written word. He gave us a glimpse into his world through his lens and it was truly inspiring.

I wouldn’t have had this opportunity if it hadn’t been for Jonathan Schmidt of trailrunner.ca and The North Face. It was awesome having a place to voice my opinion on gear, races and what ever I could think of. It is nice that a place like this exist to promote Canadian trail running and all the good things that are happening right now in our sport.

I can’t imagine what it might have been like had I not been given the chance or this venue to interact with the trail running community. I think that was the most fun. The online banter, private messages and random thoughts that came up while discussing a big race or a runners quote. It was these experiences that fuel my passion and love of this sport and our community.

Hopefully this will continue, allowing others a chance to show us their unique place in the community and inspire us all to explore our wild places.

Cheers

Keith Iskiw,
The North Face Canadian Trail Ambassador – Ontario (2012)