A million small steps for a Saskatoon woman, one giant leap for mental health
Frances Sreedhar has been logging some serious mileage in her goal to help others.
The Saskatoon woman is walking towards her goal of one million steps around the Meewasin trail system to raise awareness for mental health.
“I started to notice that I instantly felt that I had some stress reduction, I got a little bit more energy to get through the day and then the screen fatigue would disappear as I was looking farther away, and I would be very much in the moment,” she said.
What originally started as a way to get outside and improve her own mental health at the height of the pandemic has become a three-year journey as Sreedhar looks to achieve her million-step goal for the third year in a row.
“This became a sort of challenge,” she said.
After first thinking of a lofty goal, Sreedhar quickly broke down the large number into an achievable daily goal by walking 3,000 steps everyday for roughly 50 weeks.
Partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Meewasin Valley Authority was the next step as Sreedhar hopes to raise $10,000, or one cent for every step she takes, with the funds going to both organizations.
“Fran is a very inspired woman,” CMHA Saskatoon branch executive director Faith Bodnar said.
“We know that the winter months from September to the end of April is a very difficult time for a lot of people. It's important just to step out of that and, and go outside (and) get a little bit of exercise.”
With five times as many people seeking out the organization in the first year of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels, Bodnar says the “impacts of COVID-19 are still being felt today.” And with inflation remaining high throughout 2022, she says less people are donating to the CMHA.
“People have choices to make,” Bodnar said.
Meewasin Valley Authority’s Amy Wall says the trail system has seen a doubling of visitors over the pandemic, and as restrictions eased, even more people went outside to their local Meewasin trail.
“We've tracked this and it’s really shown that people have gotten out and they haven't gone back indoors,” she said. “Our numbers are continuing to go up with 2022 seeing 2.32 million visits to the trail system.”
As Sreedhar hopes to walk 5 million steps in five years, she’s hoping her initiative can eventually grow to include plenty more people.
“I would love to see it become an annual event where more people are joining or more people are gathering sponsorships and we're just raising money for good local organizations that need some support,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.