By Dan Plouffe
He’s certainly raced on bigger stages, but 5-time Paralympian Jason Dunkerley has made it an annual tradition to run in the Alive to Strive Race, held on Apr. 30 out of Terry Fox Athletic Facility.
Alive to Strive has raised roughly $150,000 over its 7 years to promote an active lifestyle amongst kidney disease patients. Dunkerley, now 4 years removed from transplant surgery when he gave his wife a kidney, has his whole family participate.
“We definitely like to come support it,” underlines the 39-year-old. “That was a big part of our life for sure.”
Following the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Dunkerley took a break from intense training. He’d said then that Rio would be his last international competition, though the Ottawa Lions Track-and-Field Club athlete and guide Josh Karanja did plan to race at the 2017 Canadian Championships since they are coming to Terry Fox July 6-9 along with a recently-announced International Para-Athletics Challenge beforehand on July 4-5.
That could provide an opportunity to qualify for the July 14-23 World Championships, which happen to be back in London – site of perhaps Dunkerley’s greatest triumph at the 2012 Games, when he ran two personal-bests and won two medals in the same Paralympics for the first time in his career at age 35.
“It’s attractive for sure,” smiles Dunkerley, who recently got an e-mail recently outlining preparation plans for London. “There’s a part of me that in the back of my mind says, ‘What if?’ I feel capable.
“I’m working full-time now (at Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada), so things are different than last year for sure. Josh and I haven’t been on the (outdoor) track yet, so I think we’ll see how it goes at this point.”
3 Ottawa athletes on Canada’s World Relays team
Far from home, three other local athletes gearing up for nationals got an early start to their seasons. Lions products Segun Makinde, Farah Jacques, Alicia Brown and head coach Glenroy Gilbert all represented Canada at the Apr. 22-23 IAAF World Relays in Bahamas.
Brown’s 4×400-metre relay team placed 3rd in their heat and missed an automatic World Championships berth in the top-8 by .13 seconds. Jacques’ 4×100 m squad was 12th.