Sports

In memory we say, and in memory we do: Training club pays tribute to Lopez

September 23, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Robert
Belardi 

The C3 Cross Training Club celebrated the life of one of their former members, Patricia Lopez, last Saturday. 

Lopez lost her life a little more than a year ago when she was hit by a truck at the intersection of Highway 10 and Old Baseline. 

The Patricia Lopez Memorial Marathon, which began at James Dick Quarry in Caledon, saw over $6,100 raised in support of Bethell Hospice and women in sport. 

“It was both Luis Lopez and his daughter Julianna. This was 150 club members who wanted to do something in Patricia’s name. We also wanted to honour and appreciate the pain that both Luis and Julianna were going through with the loss of their wife and their mother,” said Barrie Shepley, triathlon coach and owner of Personal Best Health and Performance Inc.

“We wanted to make sure this was something that would bring them joy not sadness. They were part of the decision to put her name on the event number one. They were the significant decision-makers on where the funds would go towards. The hospice was very important to Patricia and…she used sport to motivate her. So, we wanted to create a bursary in her name so we can help identify every year a couple of women who are having financial problems and need some help getting into or staying in sport.” 

Lopez, who was 50, had just completed an Ironman competition and was completely changing her life in health and fitness. 

Sponsors who generously contributed to the event were Benson Steel, Royal Containers, Kinetico, James Dick and Nuovo Iron. Members of all of these sponsors joined together with other participants as 150 people over the course of a 10-hour day ran in Lopez’s honour. 

A barbeque also took place at the end of the day. For those who could not attend, Shepley said other citizens and sponsors still donated to the cause. 

“We’ve been very blessed that our sponsors have emotionally been involved, financially been involved and physically been involved; been on relay teams or keeping their own fitness and health up.” 

Shepley said because of COVID in 2021 and keeping the numbers quite modest, this will be an annual event. As for growing financial efforts to other charities, that is still unknown moving forward. 

There will be a future goal set in stone moving forward for future years. As a first-time trial, he said this event was an excellent basis to move on from moving forward. 

         

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