Meet the mom running for New West Family Place

She raised $3,000 last year—now Vanessa Woznow wants to raise $5,000 for the not-for-profit

Author

Ria Renouf
January 10, 2023

Vanessa Woznow, far right, runs through Quayside to the delight of supporters/supplied

She's putting one foot in front of the other to raise some much-needed funding for New West Family Place.

Brow of the Hill resident Vanessa Woznow will be running all across the city to raise funds for the not-for-profit, which provides services for families with children who are between the ages of 0-6. Last year's goal was to raise $1,000; she handily smashed that, managing to raise $3,000.

This year her goal is $5,000, jokingly noting that the hills haven't gotten easier to run up. "The hills in New West haven't shrunk, so neither have my goals," Woznow says with a smile.

"Technically this is the third annual New West Neighbourhood Run event, though last year was the first year that I raised money for it. The first time I ran it was 2018; it was my birthday. I was heavily into long-distance training, and I wanted to run and run that I'd never run before," says Woznow, adding that she'd wanted this particular run to be more challenging after being inspired by the New York Marathon.

"In the New York Marathon, you run through all five boroughs, and I've always found it exceptionally quirky and very funny how New West is so small, and we have so many neighbourhoods. I think you could count up to 14 neighbourhoods in our city, and I love that."

Woznow adds that with the last few years being rough, she was trying to find all the joy in her life. All those joy points ended up intersecting for the cause.

"At the onset of 2022, the news cycle was quite heavy, and I was feeling a little down about all the different things happening in the world. I wanted to start the new year on a positive note, and I thought about how much joy I get from moving by body in the world as a runner. I thought about how much joy I had been brought by my daughter—who at the time was 18 months—and I thought about all the people and services that helped me experience so much joy with her."

She'll be posting the route closer to the event on her Twitter and Instagram pages. Along with the fundraising, one of the things she enjoys the most is the various sites she gets to see on the journey through New West.

"You get river views, you run over a bridge, you run up hills, you are in parks, you get pretty much everything, which I really appreciate and love."

Asked whether this was a Forrest Gump situation—where people might jump in and out of her run—Woznow said people were more than welcome to run with her.

Vanessa's tips and tricks for running •All bodies are runner's bodies. "There's no such thing as a runner's body," says Woznow, adding that running is a learned sport. "It's really just about taking the time to be slow, be intentional, figuring out the mechanics of your own body as a runner, and don't go out all at once right away." •Ask for help. If you have issues with your gait—your pattern of walking or running—get it checked out. Woznow says an orthotics place like Kintech might be able to help, as can your doctor. •Have fun! Take your time to enjoy the process. For some, running is a way to be meditative—that's the case for Woznow. "I'm very in tune with my body, I know what's going on. I can pinpoint when I need to extend my stride or use more of my toes, all that sort of stuff."

"I encourage the Forrest Gump montage; I am totally down with that. I did have a friend ... she ran with me for I think about a block last time," Woznow recalls with a laugh, noting that her friend didn't want to see her lag behind. "Yes, I would encourage participation, and I'm not going to run away from anyone else."

For those not into running, Woznow said she appreciated seeing the signs on last year's route, with many of her friends and family waving them in the air to cheer her on.

"I had people at Quayside, people Downtown—and especially at the hardest part of the route—I run all the way down East 10th and then turn around on East Columbia, and then all the way up that hill."

The run will take place on Saturday, Feb. 18, ahead of Family Day Monday. Visit this page to learn more about how to donate.