Robyn Michaud- Shokz Star Ambassador 2026

Anyone who has ever grown up in Oxford County in Ontario has spent at least part of their childhood on this trail.

Back in the day, this place was called the Oxford County Outdoor Education Center.

Years later, my kids would come to know it as Vansittart Woods.

I started coming here when I was in Brownies and Girl Guides from the 1970s. We later did an overnight winter camping trip here in high school and my friends and I got lost in the woods at night with no technology to help us. I distinctly remember ending up along side of the 401 westbound thinking we had wandered 100 miles from home.

Fast forward to the last 15 years, not only have all of my kids spent time here with school, I’ve also had the privilege of bringing my elementary classes through here, often to give them their first taste of an outdoor cookout and free play in the woods. What an honour it is to be the person to introduce that world to a kid for the very first time.

So when AllTrails suggested this trail to me today??? Yes, please! 🥹🥹🥹

Two loops of the forest set to an 80s rock playlist was **chef’s kiss** 🥰

I AM HEARD Coalition
Floky Canada 🇨🇦
Shokz Canada
Garmin Canada

Last long run before Tally in the Valley 100K.

7 months
1920km logged
20 lbs lost.

It all comes down to this.

“The hay is in the barn.”

Thank you
Geoff Gamble
TRAILBLAZER RUN COACHING
Happy Trails Racing
I AM HEARD Coalition
Floky Canada 🇨🇦

Just sent in my BQ for Boston 2027 for the Adaptive Athlete program! This will be my 6th Boston start line as an athlete with a spinal cord injury (syringomyelia).

One amazing opportunity that para/adaptive athletics at Boston offers is the availability of a support runner. This year I took advantage of this and now I will never go without one as it made a massive difference in my whole weekend. Boston is a unique race, filled with extremely fast people, and unfortunately, this comes with a culture of elitism. Each year I’ve experienced at least once the anxiety of my existence in this race being questioned because I am a slower runner whose disability is not readily apparent. Anybody who’s ever been with me at Boston knows that this anxiety impacts my entire weekend. This year, running with Christine Marinho by my side, who wore a bib on her back that said “support”, we had so many kind people pass us and cheer us on! As a result, I had my very best race of my entire life, both from a pace perspective, and just overall feeling like an accomplished runner who belonged on this course. I cannot thank Christine enough for being with me that day!

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Because Christine and I ran together before as athlete/Support runner, Christine got an official Boston finishing time, and not only that, a PR in the process! Let me tell you she earned every bit of that and I couldn’t have picked a better human to be with me that day to experience her first Boston!

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Unfortunately sharing this journey with the world brought on a few people who were mad thinking that neither of us “earned” our way to Boston by the traditional BQ standard. It’s worth it to know that adaptive athletes and support runners do not take any spots away from qualifiers or charity runners. Instead, they continually expand the adaptive athlete program to accommodate. I can’t imagine what goes through people’s heads targeting adaptive athletes who have legitimately earned their way into this race, as well as those who’ve given their time to support them!

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Just in case you hear anyone spreading false information about us earning our way to Boston,

A beautiful day on the trail. 🩵

I needed that mental and physical win going o to my biggest challenge yet in two weeks!

Let’s go…. #1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣K

Happy Trails Racing First Blaze 10K
📸: Sue Sitki (the real one)

I AM HEARD Coalition
Floky Canada 🇨🇦

Sometimes changing the plan is better than abandoning the plan!

Dropped down from the 25K to the 10K and had the most beautiful and stress-free run on the Bruce this morning.

Two weeks until my A-Goal race… 🩵

Thank you Happy Trails Racing First Blaze 10K! 🫶🏽🌳

I AM HEARD Coalition
Shokz Canada
Garmin
Floky Canada 🇨🇦

Vulnerability post here.

It’s crazy to remember that I spent 30 years in K-12 teaching and leadership.
When I retired in March 2023, it was like any other day, I packed up my things and went home.
That was how I capped off my very long career teaching a dozens of schools across two school boards.

I’m not one who needs the validation, but I think that would hurt anyone’s feelings not to have that kind of career end without some sort of acknowledgement of what I was able to do for so many kids.

But everything happens for a reason.

Getting my doctorate in 2025 was so much work.
I didn’t do it for anything or anyone but myself.
But wow has it opened up a whole new world!
In September I will be a full-time Assistant Professor of Indigenous Education.
I’m now in a role where I get to educate and impact future generations of K to 12 teachers, something I’ve been doing part-time for the past four years.

Now I can look back at the big picture and truly say, that first career DID mean something! 🥹🩵

Maybe the lack of celebration at the end of it just meant that I still had more work to do. 🤷🏽‍♀️

In the meantime, I’m excited to attend the THIRD event that celebrates my doctoral milestone.

This time I get to celebrate with my community of Sagamok, the community that supported me financially towards this goal. For that, I am forever grateful!

Just a little reminder that it’s ok to be sad.
It’s also ok to sometimes wonder if what you do matters.
But Creator always lets you know down the road that there was always a ‘bigger picture.’

KEEP. FREAKING. GOING.

Faculty of Education
Western University
Sagamok Anishnawbek

My dear friend Cynthia Barr recently sent me a podcast about running Western States 100 miler and the host recommended giving yourself a running alter ego, kind of like a superhero name, who you call upon whenever things get tough in a race. I decided on Dakota, which is a strong warrior-sounding name, and I learned later in life that it was the name that my dad wanted to give me when I was born.

During the race when I struggled I would say, “Let’s go Dakota!”, and suddenly I was being followed by a beautiful black butterfly with blue stripes! Everytime I saw it around me I’d laugh and say “Hey Dad!”, when suddenly this butterfly grabs an identical butterfly (my Gramma), and it was like they were excitedly, following me down the trail. At least a kilometre they stayed with me! 🦋🩵🦋

As it happens, there ARE some things are bigger than place or finishing time. 🥹

Proud that I toughed out this 42K without ever once considering quitting.

Race: Limberlost Challenge 42K
📸: Serena Felsman | Sports Marketing

Floky Canada 🇨🇦
Garmin
Shokz Canada
I AM HEARD Coalition

DFL!

Better than DNF or DNS, but so frustrating!

Limberlost Trail Challenge 42K

Struggling between being proud of myself for not DNFing, and being really sad and embarrassed of my old, damaged back/sh*t spinal cord/ and overall repeated slowness despite putting in so many kilometres and so much effort going into tall in the valley in three weeks.

Not sure what to think tonight, but I’m kind of sad and just wish my body cooperate and reflect the amount of training I’ve put in!

Ngl…. 😢💔

I AM HEARD Coalition
Garmin
Floky Canada 🇨🇦

The unintended maple leaf photobomb is … **chef’s kiss** 😘

Meadowlily Trail.. as beautiful as its name!
🌳 🌼 ❤️

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

Floky Canada 🇨🇦
Garmin
Brooks Running
I AM HEARD Coalition

☀️🌸JUNE🌸☀️ (keeping it real!)

❌ no mileage record
❌ DNF’d at the Redemption 100Km
❌ missed my goal distance at Sunburn Solstice

But…
✅ spent a TON of time in the forest 🌳 😍
✅ ran Forest City Road Races 18 lbs lighter than last year!
✅ spent a lot of time in my jingle dress!
✅ got to honour my Dad on Fathers Day at an Indigenous celebration in Tillsonburg
✅ got to hang with good friends to celebrate a dear friend’s film 🧡🪶
✅ have ran more in the first six months of 2026 that I did in all of 2024!

3.5 weeks until my BIG goal race at Tally in the Valley! 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣K

Welcome JULY!! ☀️🌊☀️