Isfeld Student Pushes for the Cure

Erica Greenup loves the thrill of going fast on her longboard.

By Forrest Picher and Nesta Cooper

They pushed uphill, tucked down and braved their way across vast stretches of straight with only an inescapable white line to keep them on the shoulder of the highway.

Grade 12 Mark R Isfeld student, Erica Greenup, along with 50 other determined individuals, including some as young as 10 participated in the “Push for the cure” recently; a longboarding marathon raising money for breast cancer.  The trek spanned from Hope to Stanley Park, Vancouver, taking roughly three days from October 10-12.

Erica Greenup with some of The Push For The Cure Team

On the first day they made a dent in the total distance, boarding 30 kilometres closer to the finish. On the second day they more than doubled that progress, throwing 70 kilometres of road behind them, and on the third day they kept going strong, pushing hard on to the final stretch of 50 kilometres. 

It was “the biggest workout I have ever done in my life,” said Greenup, “I was very tired, relieved and felt accomplished. It was a life changing event.”

According to Greenup, she didn’t undergo any kind of strict training before the event. “I did what I always do,” she said, “I spend everyday pushing to friends’ houses.”

Greenup discovered her interest in longboarding through skateboarding from the age of 13.  Since then, she has participated in several racing events around BC, including five major competitions last season in Vernon, Pender Harbour, Kimberly, Salt Spring, and Shawnigan Lake.

She managed to earn fourth place at the women’s competition at Danger Bay ’08 in Pender Harbour. Though it was a small area, people from several parts of the world including Australia, Europe and Brazil came to attend, according to Greenup.

In the end, our local hero raised over 200 dollars towards her cause, longboarded over 150 kilometres on the unforgiving mainland roads, and has remained motivated, saying that she will definitely be involved in following years.