Fight 4 The Light 100K Mental Health Awareness Run

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Victoria Lavigne, a small town gal living in Ottawa, ON, that is committed to spreading light, love, and mental health awareness wherever I go. I am running 100km in May 2022*, from Ottawa to my hometown of Hawkesbury, with the goal of raising over $10,000 to donate to various charities that work to combat ongoing issues that affect mental health. 

*Originally the plan was to run on October 10, 2021, but due to an ankle injury two weeks prior to the run, I biked 115 km on the special day instead.

I lost my dad when I was ten due to his own mental health issues. The confusion, along with the pain and my already existing self hatred, led a little gal down a dark tunnel, quickly following in daddy’s footsteps. It wasn’t until I was 21 and surrounded by real love and support that I finally started to see the magic that was within me all along, and slowly began realizing that life was worth living no matter how many storms I encountered. Because for the first time in my life, I wanted to fight through them. I wanted to get to the other side and LIVE.  I started looking at what happened to me through different eyes: my questioning why this had to happen turned into what could I do to prevent this from happening to someone else. Because problems, they’re inevitable. But dealing with them should be manageable. We should all have the same resources when we need them, the same opportunities to not only survive but thrive in life.  My “WHY ME”  narriative turned into exactly why I’m happy to be me, why I’m happy to still be here truly admiring every day of my life. 

And that’s the beautiful thing about love: that even after the person we love is gone, the love we have for them has the power to push us forward, to uplift us when we need it most. That’s what the power of self love and the power of community can do, too. 

That’s what we’re doing right here with this mission. So that we all have the power to not only see and feel the light, 
But to BE the light. 

Each and every single one of you matters. Each and every single one of you deserves to be here. 
I’m SO glad you are and I am eternally grateful for your support and love.

Keep fighting for the light. 
I promise you, it's worth it. 

And to my angel in the sky, I wish you were here to tell you how much I loved you then and how much I still love and miss you now. What brings me joy and peace is knowing you are up in the skies, cheering your heart out, proud and thankful that your little girl never gave up. 

To follow the journey, check out my posts on Instagram at @victoriaalavigne or @fight4.thelight. Currently $3000 has been donated: $1000 to Warrior Yoga, $1000 to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, and $1000 to the Black Legal Action Centre.