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Grade 10 student, Kaelan McKernan placed first in this year's Hike for Hospice Hustle. He ran the 5 km race in honour of patients at the Children’s Hospital. Photo submitted/ Kaelan McKernan
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A local Grade 10 student is this year’s Hike for Hospice Hustle’s top racer.  

Kaelan McKernan ran the 5 km race, crossing the finishing line first, with a personal best time of 19 minutes and 55 seconds.  

In the past, McKernan was an avid runner, competing on his schools' track and field team, but he had to stop, after being diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  

“During the cancer journey, I couldn't run at all. Chemo was six months, and I couldn't run, and around a month after I still couldn't, because I was so weak,” he said. “Before I ran a lot and I was really itching to get back to it.”  

After finishing chemotherapy, he wanted to participate in the Hike for Hospice Hustle in support of the patients in Unit 1 at the Children’s Hospital.  

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Okotoks Grade 10 student Kaelan McKernan placed first in the Hike for Hospice Hustle’s 5 km race at 19 minutes and 55 seconds. OkotoksOnline/David Drake

To prepare for the race, McKernan joined the Okotoks Track and Cross-Country Club, practiced multiple times a week, and continued to build his strength until he felt confident in running 5 km.  

“That's the longest I've run in two years. I was scared, I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it, but I was able to and it was a lot of fun,” McKernan said.   

In addition to training physically, McKernan also had to prepare mentally for the race.  

“I was listening to music before, like 60s and 70s music, just some upbeat stuff, and I was journaling,” he said.  

During the race, there were moments when McKernan had to overcome not only physical pain, but also mental hurdles.  

“At some points, I wanted to slow down, but I had to push through those blocks in my mind,” he said. “I was thinking about the other patients in Unit 1 at the Children's Hospital and a lot of them can't run or barely walk. I was running for them because they couldn't, that was good fuel for the fire.”  

When McKernan realized he placed first, he was surprised.   

“It was kind of like, ‘Whoa,’ for the first little bit, but I was really proud of myself because I didn't think I had it in me,” he said. “It was a good accomplishment.”  

McKernan plans to continue running with the club and is now preparing to compete in zones with his school’s track and field team.