Mish flag journeys to the land of penguins

by: Brent Wesley - Wawatay News

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Sheila Robertson, right, is on her way to achieving a feat very few in the world have completed. In March, the Thunder Bay resident completed the Antarctica Marathon, the fifth continent on which she has raced. She plans to run in two more continents to join the Seven Continents Club, a group for marathon runners who have raced on every continent in the world. While in the Antarctica, Robertson flew the Mishkeegogamang flag with fellow runner Joseph Alexander of California. Robertson obtained the flag from Tom Waaykeesic, band councillor in Mishkeegogamang.
-submitted photo

Anything is possible.
That’s the message Mishkeegogamang band Coun. Tom Wassaykeesic wants to share with First Nation youth. He and long distance runner Sheila Robertson of Thunder Bay share the same message. Their paths have never crossed, but fate brought them together in the form of a flag.

Robertson, a probation officer, was on her way to Antarctica to take part in a marathon. She was looking for a City of Thunder Bay flag to take with her to fly upon completion of the grueling run. But Robertson was not able to get her hands on one. That’s where Wassaykeesic came in. Through a mutual friend, Wassaykeesic learned Robertson was on her to the South Pole and was in search of a flag. The band councillor jumped at the opportunity to offer the Mishkeegogamang flag.

From Thunder Bay to Toronto, to the United States and South America, and finally the Antarctica, the flag travelled with Robertson as she arrived at the South Pole in March.

Expecting extreme cold, Robertson was surprised to find it was actually warmer than it was in Thunder Bay. For months she had trained for the cold.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” she said of the warm weather, which hovered just below zero.

Aside from the weather, Robertson was amazed at being in a land few have been.

Throughout her journey she saw seals, penguins and whales.

“It was almost surreal,” she reflected.

After completing the run, Robertson then took pictures with the Mishkeegogamang flag in the land of the penguins.

“It’s showing anything is possible,” Robertson remarked. “You can empower yourself.”

Wassaykeesic offered an interesting perspective of the event.
“We didn’t discover Antarctica, but we’re claiming it,” he joked.

Joking aside, Wassaykeesic said youth often face adversity and challenges in life.

He wanted young people to know there is hope and goals can be reached.

After completing the marathon, Robertson can now claim she has run on five of the world’s seven continents. She only has Africa and Australia to cross off her list, something she plans to do.

Initially, she started running marathons to raise funds for diabetes, participating in runs in Rome and Iceland with Team Diabetes Canada. It was then she heard about the Seven Continents Club, a group for runners who have raced on all seven continents. Since 1995, when the Antarctica Marathon was started, more than 170 individuals have completed the feat.

Robertson made it her goal to be part of this club and she is well on her way. After all, anything is possible.

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