Tahsis -- Rain and sleet and unseasonably cool temperatures did not cool the growing popularity of the Gold River to Tahsis Great Walk this year as a record breaking 803 people started down the Head Bay Forest Road at 4:00am on the 63.5km long hike. Steve Royer from Courtenay was the first participant to finish the event, crossing the line at the Tahsis Rec Centre at 8:47. Nine hours later at 17:48 G. Humphries-Loutit of Port Alberni reached the finish line as the last person to complete the course. Between Royer and Humphries-Loutit another 654 people made it all the way to Tahsis, setting a new record for total number of participants completing the event. Total sign-ups this year were 880, also a new record.
Participants came from all over again this year, and of the 656 that finished 618 came from British Columbia, 2 from Europe, 5 from Alberta, 4 from Ontario and 27 from nine US states and the District of Columbia. Of the BC participants just over half came from Nanaimo north on Vancouver Island. There were 10 from Gold River, 13 from Tahsis, 4 from Port Alice, 3 from Port McNeill, 7 from Port Hardy and 1 each from Woss and Kyuquot. First locals to finish the event were Steve Yagilnicky from Tahsis and Kevin Eby from Kyuquot who crossed the line with times of 7:10 and 7:11 respectively. First Gold Riverite this year was Mike Morgan who walked in at 8:29.
The first female across the line was Gaela Kilgour of Powell River with a time of 5:38. Winners of other categories were: First Female Youth, fifteen year old Jessica Herron of Tahsis at 8:54; First Male Youth, sixteen year old Darcy Bell of Quathiaski Cove at 7:08 (a new record for the event); Youngest Female Finishing, eleven year old Tia Wishart of Comox at 16:29; Youngest Male Finishing, ten year old Stacy Bell of Quathiaski Cove at 15:38; Oldest Female Finishing, seventy-three year old Elizabeth Vos of Nanaimo at 15:20; and Oldest Male Finishing, seventy-three year old John P. Zuiker of White Rock at 9:55.
A new trophy, donated by the Tahsis Chamber of commerce in remembrance of long-time Tahsis Lions Club member Les Horgas was presented at the awards ceremony. A hand carved wooden "boot," it will be used to keep a record of the First Man finishing each year.
A special award was also given out at the ceremony to this year's Great Walk Lion President and long time organizer, Betty Ganyo. She was presented the Lions International Presidents award for leadership by Lion District Governor Keith Buchan. It is the third highest award possible in the Lions International Organization.
The Great Walk is a charity fund raising event, and this year over $95,000 were raised in support of 119 different charities and worthwhile causes. St. Lawrence Mission Church near Tofino was the big winner in the fundraising category, gathering in over $8,000.
"Our walkers tell us that this is the best organized event of its kind that they have ever seen," said Betty Ganyo. "I guess that's why we keep doing it. This is a huge event for both our communities; everyone gets involved."
Return to Home Page