This time next week, I will be in sunny California, about to complete my 5th half-marathon—two things I never would have imagined I would say!
 

This is a longer story day, which is why it’s taken me a bit longer to share. It’s one that has brought a lot of tears, because this was truly the turning point in who I am at this moment in my life. And now… where to start?

Let’s begin with two things I’ve known for most of my life:

1. I LOVE Disney.

2. I am NOT a runner.
    

I LOVE DISNEY. For those of you who know me—or even just see my Instagram feed or stories—this is probably one of the first things you think of when you think of me. I’m not sure how that love started. I like to think my Uncle Shawn somehow knew it would become a huge part of who I’d grow into, because he bought me my very first Disney gift when I was born: a Beast Barbie doll that transforms from Beast to human form (and yes… I still have it).
 

We watched the movies, bought the dolls, and went to Disney World a number of times. My parents would catch me doing a one-girl show of the entire Beauty and the Beast movie while I was supposed to be asleep. It truly was a huge part of who I was—but there was a time when I gave it all up.
 

In 2015, my whole family went to Orlando, and being so close, I knew I needed to refill my pixie dust and go to Magic Kingdom. That same year, my ex-husband and I had quit our jobs and were planning our move to Mexico
in the fall, so money was tighter than usual. Still, we decided to splurge and go to the park. He had never been,
and I was over the moon to bring him to my happy place.
 

The morning came, and I was filled with excitement and ready for a day of pure, childlike wonder.
 

Most of the day was great—but sadly, I don’t remember much of it except for the end. We were leaving the park, ready to meet my family for dinner, when we passed Town Square Theatre. For those who don’t know, this is the only place you can meet Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom. And you cannot go to Disney without getting a
Mickey hug—it’s very important… unless you’re my ex.
 

I pointed it out, and he said, “I am not waiting an hour to see someone dressed as a mouse.”
 

Those words were a dagger to my heart. Tears instantly fell—it felt like a child being told “no” by their parents.
(Side note: I love my parents, and they are absolute troopers who will wait in line to see whoever I ask them to—shoutout to John & Lisa!)
 

What I didn’t expect was that this would be the dagger I wouldn’t fight. After that day, I decided it was time to grow up—and to stop dreaming.
 

That’s when I felt the shift. That’s when my light dimmed. I stopped caring about who I wanted to be. My brain tried to fight it, constantly reminding me of who I was and who I should be—but my heart decided it couldn’t take it anymore. Being numb felt easier.
 

From 2015 to 2021, I didn’t even think about Disney. I had given up on ever going back. We couldn’t afford it—we could barely afford rent and bills—so why would I ever spend money on myself to try to get my pixie dust back?
 

Then COVID hit, and like everyone else, it was hard. My bubble was a man I tried to love, but who I don’t think truly cared for me, and our dog, Hiker. (Hiker—I miss you every day. Leaving you has been one of my biggest regrets of the last five years. Thank you to my ex-in-laws for loving and caring for him. I know he was always safe and well cared for.)
 

June 2021 rolled around. I had just graduated from Centennial College and knew it was time to leave my marriage. One day, while scrolling Instagram, I saw one of those “something you might like” posts—for RunDisney. I clicked it and saw they were advertising the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, and that registration was open.
 

Without thinking twice—and with next to no money—I signed up for the Princess 5km and messaged my Auntie Sarah, a kindred Disney spirit, to see if she wanted to join. She instantly signed up for the half-marathon, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a flicker of something again.
 

This is where we have to remember I AM NOT A RUNNER - and Disney is not cheap, and I had no money to afford even a plane ticket.
 

Regardless, I bought a pair of black trail runners, got up at 7:00 every morning, and started walking the country roads around our Haliburton home, with Hiker in tow. On days I wanted to try running, I’d drive to my favourite forest trail, pretend I was in another world, and do my best.
 

No matter where I was, one thought stayed in my mind:

I don’t have to run well—I just have to be able to run faster than him. (Someday I’ll unpack that and share more… but not today.)
 

June became July, and before I knew it, summer was over. A lot changed. By the end of August, I had moved back in with my parents, and by October, I had left the last ten years of my life behind and started anew.
 

I worked a number of odd jobs, paid off all my debt, and when February came, I was ready to return to Disney.

On February 23, 2022, I hopped on a plane with my Auntie Sarah and my cousin Maddy, and before I knew it, we were driving through the “Welcome to Disney” gate. We checked into our hotel, and even though I could see the tip of Cinderella’s Castle, it didn’t feel real. I kept waiting to wake up—to realize the last several months had been nothing but a dream.
 

But it wasn’t. I was there. I was home.
 

I had lunch with the Beast in his ballroom. I rode the Millennium Falcon. I met countless favourite characters. I knew then that this was something I could never give up again—a part of me I had to protect, no matter what.
 

I completed my 5km—speed walking it, I might add—and my Auntie Sarah was waiting for me at the finish line.
The joy I felt crossing that line was unlike anything I had ever experienced. That moment marked the beginning of the next chapter of my life, and all that followed when I returned home: finalizing a divorce, changing my last name, and so many things I’m still working through today.
 

That 5km led to my return in 2023 for the Princess 10km and half marathon, running with an incredible charity
that I now have the privilege of being an ambassador for—the National Down Syndrome Society. In 2024, I came back again to do the 5km, 10km, and half marathon, this time with my parents (YAY John & Lisa), who finally got to see why these runs mean so much to me.
 

In 2025, I did it all again—this time with my supportive partner, Aidan (and yes, for those wondering, he did wait in line with me to see Mickey—YAY Aidan). That year also marked my first run in Canada. In September 2025, I ran
the Canada Army Run 1/2 Marathon, in Ottawa with my Auntie Sarah, my sister-in-law Andrea, and her
best friend Simone.
 

Which brings us to January 2026.
 

What was supposed to be a random 5km has turned into a lot of runs—both in-person and virtual—and has now led me to Disneyland in California to run my 5th half-marathon.
 

Back in 2015, I never thought I’d return to Disney World, let alone be lucky enough to visit Disneyland (which I’m slightly geeking out over, since it’s the OG park).
 

What started as a defence turned into a journey—one that has brought healing and life back to my body, heart, and mind. My pixie dust is overflowing.
 

And the journey isn’t done yet.
 

This November, I’ll run my first full marathon. And next January, I’ll return to Orlando “one last time” for
the Dopey Challenge… but more on that later.