When Canadian winter hits, even the most dedicated runners, cyclists and weekend warriors feel their motivation dip. If you’re craving sunshine, movement and a mental reset, Orlando offers the perfect Winter Wellness Escape: a place where Canadians can stay active outdoors while the weather turns icy up north.

Whether you’re travelling solo, or with a family, the sun-filled destination welcomes visitors with unforgettable outdoor adventures, sun-soaked festivals, refreshing resort pools, all-new theme park thrills, and al fresco dining – each set against Orlando’s signature blue skies and warm sunshine. It’s the ultimate place to escape the cold and make unforgettable memories in a destination where winter simply doesn’t exist.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Orlando’s sunny skies invite visitors to immerse themselves in the destination’s natural beauty. From picturesque waterways and tranquil trails to adrenaline-fueled off-road experiences, the options are endless. 

• Hiking enthusiasts can explore trails and nature preserves including the Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve, featuring a butterfly garden, picnic area and various hikes and trails; The Florida National Scenic Trail, featuring pine flatwoods, freshwater marsh, oak hammock and more at Crosby Island Marsh Preserve, Moss Park and the Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area; and the Cady Way Trail, 7.2-mile paved corridor, stretching from downtown Orlando to Winter Park which feature water fountains and sheltered rest stops with dining and shopping opportunities along the way. 
• Experience the beauty of the Everglades with Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Rides, Wild Florida and Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, featuring classic Florida airboat tours, up-close views of native wildlife, like alligators and bald eagles, along with the gorgeous long grasses and local greenery of the swamp.
• At Catboat Escapes, guests can captain a personal catamaran across scenic waterways, while at the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour visitors can enjoy a guided boat tour through the Winter Park Chain of Lakes, linked by a series of beautiful Venetian-style canals. 
• Thrill-seekers can soar 1,200 feet over live alligators and crocodiles on the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line at Gatorland, or venture onto off-road trails with ATVs, Dune Buggies and ARGO amphibious Mucky Ducks across more than 200 acres of guided terrain at Revolution Adventures.
• Get Up and Go Kayaking offers clear-kayaking tours through Rock Springs Run, where visitors can spot otters, fish and native birds while gliding over crystal-clear and water.
• Watersport novices and aficionados can explore Nona Adventure Park, featuring a floating aqua park; cable park for water skiing and wakeboarding; 60-foot climbing tower; and ropes course.

WINTER SPORTING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Orlando’s sunny winter weather sets the ultimate backdrop for sports fans with a full line up of recreational and professional sporting events and activities for visitors to enjoy. 

• The NBA’s Orlando Magic season heats up in the winter with home games at downtown Orlando’s Kia Center through April. 
• Camping World Stadium will host several classic college football bowl games, select dates Dec. 17 – Jan. 10. 
• For 2026, the United Football League introduced Orlando Storm, Orlando’s newest sports team. The new UFL franchise team will play at the Inter&Co Stadium, home to Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer and Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League, for the 2026 season kicking off in March. 

Active guests seeking to get in on the action, can explore:

• Orlando’s more than 100 golf courses offering golfers a paradise with championship courses dreamed up by Tom Fazio, Ron Garl, Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, to name a few.
• The USTA National Campus, the national headquarters for U.S. tennis, features 100 courts, world-class facilities and is open to the public for play, lessons, and events. 
• FootGolf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course combines soccer and golf offering a unique experience for families and guests of all ages.

OUTDOOR FESTIVALS

Orlando’s sunshine sets the stage for vibrant outdoor festivals featuring live entertainment, indulging bites, art, cultural experiences and exciting festivities all winter long. 

Theme Park Festivals 

• The Epcot International Festival of the Arts (Jan. 16 – Feb. 23) will combine visual, culinary and performing arts for six colorful weekends. Magical music will take center stage with the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series featuring show-stopping numbers from Aladdin, Frozen, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Tarzan, Newsies and more.  
• SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival (select dates Jan.– May) invites guests to dine and delight in flavors from around the world with local craft beers, live performances and more.   
• Universal Orlando Resort’s Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval (Feb. 7 – April 4), will bring culinary experiences and Carnaval festivities from around the world to Universal Studios Florida. The vibrant celebration will feature a nightly parade with glittering floats, street performers, colorful beads and on select nights, guests can enjoy live performances from some of the biggest names in music.
• Aquatica Orlando’s new ILLUMINATE: A Nighttime Lantern Festival (select nights now – Jan 31.), an all-new experience transforming the park into a realm of light and imagination, featuring glowing walkways, large animal lanterns in five interactive realms and exciting culinary bites all in a new after-dark setting.   

Beyond the Parks

• IMMERSE Fest (Feb. 20-22, 2026), an annual interactive arts experience held across 10 city blocks in downtown Orlando, will return featuring epic live performances, immersive art installations and unexpected creative moments.
• The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival (March 20-22), one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most prestigious juried outdoor fine art festivals return to bring local artists and art lovers together. The free family-friendly festival will feature a wide variety of fine arts and crafts, live entertainment, a children’s workshop and more.

COOL POOLS THAT MAKE A SPLASH

Dive into Orlando’s collection of sun-soaked pools and enjoy aquatic fun in the warm winter weather. 

• Villatel Orlando Resort offers one of Orlando’s newest pools, with a water park-style pool complex complete with a lazy river, water slides and a dedicated splash pad with a water bucket drop for younger children. Additionally, many of the villas of the resort come with their own private pool for added privacy and relaxation. 
• Evermore Orlando Resort is Orlando’s first beach-like property, with an 8-acre Crystal Lagoon and a 20-acre sandy beach with hammocks, cabanas and recreational activities. Guests can enjoy family paddleboarding, mixology classes, sandcastle-building lessons and more. Also onsite, Conrad Orlando the destination’s first Hilton luxury brand, offers a spa featuring an immersive water garden, a spacious zero-entry pool and kid-friendly splash pad. 
• Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort features a sprawling water park-style pool complex complete with a lazy river, interactive splash zone, waterslides and a separate adults-only pool area. 
• Guests can splash into the new Grande Lakes Water Park, a shared amenity at the JW Marriott, Grande Lakes and The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes.  Highlights include a quarter-mile lazy river; three high-flying waterslides; and a kid-approved Splash Cove and AquaVenture Course. Additionally, adults can escape away from it all at the resorts’ other shared pools, including the adults-only Oasis Pool at The Ritz-Carlton Spa. Orlando, Grande Lakes. 
• Explore a world of all-ages fun at the The Grove Resort & Water Park Orlando, offering three serene Springs Pools, a children’s splash pad, private cabanas and its signature Surfari Water Park featuring a FlowRider® Double surf simulator, dual water slides, a 695 foot lazy river, kids’ activities pool and zero-entry pool.

NEW THEME PARK THRILLS & FAMILY FUN

Visitors can explore Orlando’s newest attractions, including: 

• Universal Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Resort’s fourth theme park, inviting guests to explore more than 50 attractions, dining, shopping and entertainment experiences across five vibrant worlds. The adventure begins in Celestial Park, a gateway inspired by the stars and myth, before journeying to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, where 1920s Paris and iconic wizarding landmarks come to life. In SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, guests can play alongside Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Donkey Kong in a fully immersive gaming world. How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk offers a colorful Viking adventure, while Dark Universe brings thrilling encounters with legendary Universal Monsters in a world of myth and mystery. 
• At Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park, the new nighttime parade “Disney Starlight” features characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen and more.  
• At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Tree of Life Theater has debuted the all-new 4D production “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!”, where families can join their favorite herd from the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios movie, including Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde and more for an exhilarating new wild story. 
• SeaWorld Orlando’s Expedition Odyssey, the world’s first fully immersive Artic-themed flying theater, combines cutting-edge technology, breathtaking real-world footage and close-up encounters with Arctic wildlife. 

OUTDOOR DINING OFFERINGS

From rooftops lounges and waterfronts patios to Michelin recognized dining and uncommon restaurant fronts, outdoor dining in Orlando can be enjoyed throughout the destination.  

• One of Orlando’s newest outdoor spaces, Art², opened in downtown Orlando as an urban pocket park featuring food, craft beverages, outdoor seating and murals celebrating local art. 
• Located at Conrad Orlando, Sophia’s Trattoria, offers wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas on their waterside patio with views of Evermore Bay. Perched on the top floor, Ceiba serves modern Mexican cuisine and boasts panoramic views of Evermore Bay and even theme park fireworks. 
• A La Cart, in the Milk District, is an outdoor food hall-style venue featuring a rotating collection of local food trucks offering everything from gourmet grilled cheese to global street eats, all in a laid-back, picnic-style setting.
• With a newly opened location in Winter Park’s Park Avenue, The Glass Knife features luxury desserts, breakfast, lunch and an expanded brunch menu on the weekends.
• Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe offers an upscale casual dining experience featuring an innovative and fresh menu, all with an amazing view of historic Lake Ivanhoe in downtown Orlando.
• At Universal Helios Grand Hotel, bar and lounge Bar Helios offers 360-degree views of the Epic Universe park. 
• For memorable views of Epcot and Magic Kingdom (including nightly fireworks), nearby Capa Steakhouse & Bar, the Michelin Star-rated rooftop steakhouse at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, boasts the best of Spanish-influenced cuisine.
• Perched on the ninth floor at JW Marriott Bonnet Creek, illume offers a unique rooftop lounge serving contemporary Japanese cuisine and creative cocktails.

For more information on travelling to Orlando:

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Harbouring no emotional expectations, he had travelled to Wales in 2011 to visit the gravesite of the teenager whose heart was beating in his chest. But that day, looking at the headstone in the cemetery and standing beside the father of the organ donor, Keith was moved beyond words.

He felt his own life shift.

“I definitely had an epiphany.”

A quarter-century earlier, the transplant had saved Keith. But back then, bringing together the families of organ recipients and donors was not commonplace. “The thinking was, ‘If you dare to reach out, that will open the wounds and they’ll have to relive the trauma,’” he says. “The philosophy was that you had to keep everyone separated.”

But the former soccer star—in the process of writing a book about being the first person to play professional sports after heart-transplant surgery—realized he needed to know more about the gift’s origins, even decades later.

So, Keith arranged that overseas trip to pay his respects to donor Jonathan Groves and their heart’s history. “I hadn’t thought much about the family and the young man who’d passed away,” he says. “Up till that time, my competitiveness was focused inward — I need to do this, I need to do this, I need to …”

People wired like me are so competitive and so driven, nothing that happened yesterday is relevant. It’s always, ‘What’s on the horizon?’

But, jolted by the graveyard experience, Keith’s me-first approach vanished. He was inspired. “It was, ‘I’m going to change — I’m going to do for others.’”

Energized by the possibilities, he established the Simon Keith Foundation with his wife, Kelly, to help young organ recipients return to active lifestyles and to raise awareness about donor registration.

Committed to advocacy, he openly shares his powerful story with dozens of audiences every year. “It’s really mission driven and it’s really for those kids.”

He recently hosted the Simon Keith Foundation Heart of Gold Gala and Concert, a red-carpet event in Victoria, B.C. that generated $3 million in donations. “We’re definitely going to do more galas. Maybe in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Vegas, New York, who knows?”

Trust him to figure it out. Because Keith—born in England, raised in Victoria, settled in Las Vegas—isn’t one to sit still. “People wired like me are so competitive and so driven, nothing that happened yesterday is relevant. It’s always, ‘What’s on the horizon?’”

That full-steam-ahead mentality has served him well.
As a blossoming soccer player, he had been determined to crack Team Canada’s lineup and participate in the 1986 World Cup. Ever gung-ho, he was on pace, until, as a 19-year-old striker of the University of Victoria, he got a diagnosis of viral myocarditis. Without a new heart, he was dead.

The wait was excruciating. “Soul-sucking, dark, lonely, a terrible place to be,” Keith says. “Groundhog Day every day. You can’t think about anything else. You can’t eat. You can’t sleep. It’s where character is born, that’s for sure.”

Eventually welcoming a donation—Groves, only 17, had perished while playing soccer—Keith was immediately obsessed with the goal of returning to the pitch. His surgeon, Sir Terence English, encouraged him, saying go ahead and “resume the life you led prior to being sick.”
Music to his ears. “That became my North Star.”

Three years later, while starring for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, he was selected No. 1 in the Major Indoor Soccer League’s draft by the Cleveland Crunch. Soon after, he became the first post-heart-transplant professional player—in any sport. “Ability, perseverance, stupidity, whatever you want to call it, I’m really proud,” says Keith, who, later, suited up for the Victoria Vistas, Winnipeg Fury and Montreal Supra of the Canadian Soccer League. “It happened.

I was there, man. I know how hard it was.”

He has barely slowed. Earlier this year, against all odds, Keith celebrated his 60th birthday. “Every day is uncharted territory. What’s up? What’s next?” It’s no surprise to hear that he runs and cycles, lifts weights and plays tennis, golfs and cheers for his beloved Vegas Golden Knights. He carries on like someone half his age.

“I’m in a world where just being me is really fun.”

His remarkable journey is ongoing, but Keith acknowledges that he’s taken time to reflect, to consider the mark he’s making.

He’s been immortalized numerous times—Order of Canada, David Foster Foundation Visionary Award, inductions into assorted halls of fame—so one would blame him for puffing out his chest, which, by the way, contains his third heart after a 2019 procedure that also included
a kidney transplant.

But his outlook is decidedly selfless.

“The reality? I’ll be viewed as someone who did something that no one else had done before, which is great, but it’s not the legacy I want,” says Keith. “I’m hoping there’s people in the world who have been helped, who have changed their perspective, through an interaction with me or my family or my team. That’s what I ultimately hope.” 

Photography: JerryMetellus

You may also like: Athletes with IMPACT

Read This Story in Our 2025 Fall Fitness Issue

IMPACT Magazine’s Fall Fitness Issue 2025 featuring the The Fitness Guy, Pete Estabrooks, telling all with his shockingly candid new memoir revealing a story you never expected, as well as former pro soccer player Simon Keith and Paralympian Erica Scarff. Find your ultimate guide to cross-training for runners, no jump cardio and superset workouts along with the best trail running shoes in our 2025 Trail Running Shoe Review, and so much more!

At 12, Scarff was a competitive gymnast but one day everything changed. She was sprinting towards the vault at practice and heard something pop, followed by a tremendous amount of pain. Her coach came running and called her parents to take her to the hospital.

“He actually had to carry me out of the gym. I was in so much pain,” Scarff recalls.

But because the pain was coming from her thigh, the doctor at the hospital didn’t think she’d broken anything and was going to send her away without an X-ray. Her mom knew her pain tolerance and pushed for that X-ray. It not only showed a broken femur but also a shadow.

That led to the diagnosis no family wants to hear—cancer—specifically osteosarcoma, the rare bone cancer Terry Fox was also diagnosed with three decades before.

The treatment was aggressive and she underwent 60 rounds of chemotherapy during the course of a year and, like Fox, had to have her right leg amputated. “Chemo is really tough, it makes you feel completely awful,” she says. “My mom would always bring a blanket from home to comfort me.”

When the time came to amputate her leg, Scarff remembers being resigned to the decision. “When I was going through my cancer treatment, I accepted it, I wasn’t happy about it but I took it in stride.”

Her battle prompted family friend, Sue Strong, to start Erica’s Wish as a way to support her and her family. The initiative’s blanket program continues to bring warmth, comfort and hope to children facing the biggest battles of their lives. Initially, Strong delivered blankets in Toronto to the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), where Scarff was treated, but now sends them across Ontario.

Scarff has gone on some of those deliveries. “It can be hard to go back to SickKids but there’s also a lot of positive things that happened there.”

“I instantly fell in love with the sport. I really enjoyed being in the boat and leaving my prosthetic on the dock.”

Without her treatment, Scarff wouldn’t be on the course she is now, and for that, she’s thankful.

Once in remission, it was a chance encounter that led her to compete on the world stage. “The thing I was really missing was that sport and competitive aspect,” Scarff says. While her parents tried to help her find something to fill the void left by gymnastics—swimming, biking, downhill skiing—she didn’t love anything.

One day she was at the prosthesis clinic when she ran into a friend who happened to be there with coach Mari Ellery. Ellery suggested she try Para canoe. “I instantly fell in love with the sport. I really enjoyed being in the boat and leaving my prosthetic on the dock.”

Now in her late teens, she used that first summer to ease into the sport, competing in a few races. But that fire was reignited and, with Ellery as her coach, she quickly started pushing herself harder.

It was around that time it was announced Para canoe would debut at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. “Once I saw I had the potential, I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Scarff recalls. “I started training even harder to see what could happen.”

She made her Paralympic debut alongside the sport she’d fallen in love with. “It was really cool to see so many other disabled athletes from around the world. It was a really positive experience.” A seventh place finish spurred her passion and she set her sights on Tokyo 2020.

But Scarff was dealt another devastating blow. She was crossing the street in 2018 when she was struck by a car. “It was pretty terrible but when I look at it in the grand scheme, I’m quite lucky it wasn’t worse,” Scarff says.

The recovery derailed her training and her life. In her early twenties at that time, she had recently moved out on her own and was attending school. Instead, she was forced to move back home and couldn’t wear her prosthesis. “It took me a really long time to recover.”

When she was finally able to get back in a boat, Scarff says it felt like she was starting over.

Despite clawing her way back, she narrowly missed qualifying for Tokyo. Still, she continued on and then it was announced Para canoe events would be expanding for Paris 2024.

There are two main boats in Para canoe: kayaks (propelled by a double-blade paddle) and va’a boats (an outrigger canoe propelled by a single-blade paddle). Up until this point, Scarff had been competing in kayaks. “I decided to switch events and see if I could qualify.” That came with another set of hurdles as she learned the ins and outs of a different event.

The move provided some of her biggest career highlights, seeing a gold medal finish at the 2022 World Cup, a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships and a fifth place finish in Paris.

The 2024 Paralympics were a redeeming moment for her, she says. Not only did she get to compete in Paris, but it felt like her hard work had paid off after missing Tokyo.

Another notable moment came for her this summer at the 2025 World Championships in Milan—the same city she competed at her first worlds in 10 years ago. This time her parents were able to accompany her and watch her eighth place finish live.

“I’ve been in the sport so long, it’s really cool to see things come full circle like that.” 

Photography: CKC/Vera Bucsu

You may also like: Athletes with IMPACT

Read This Story in Our 2025 Fall Fitness Issue

IMPACT Magazine’s Fall Fitness Issue 2025 featuring the The Fitness Guy, Pete Estabrooks, telling all with his shockingly candid new memoir revealing a story you never expected, as well as former pro soccer player Simon Keith and Paralympian Erica Scarff. Find your ultimate guide to cross-training for runners, no jump cardio and superset workouts along with the best trail running shoes in our 2025 Trail Running Shoe Review, and so much more!

What you say? Yes you read that correctly. Pete Estabrooks aka the Fitness Guy, did his time in the clink. Time that molded who he is today, and why he is forever striving to not only be the best he can be, but to bring out the best in others.

At 66-years-old Estabrooks has a lifetime of memories with many more to come. But he has decided now is the time to document his life in a frank and revealing memoir to be published by the end of the year. Titled Happily NEver After: a Fitness Miracle, it is written in a style that is ‘just Pete’ – writing as he talks and as many know him.

From his first robbery at 18-years-old and his time in jail where the gym became his escape hatch—although not without its challenges—to his boxing career and beyond, the book is an exposé of his life—warts and all.

Estabrooks in his preface to his book says: “The goal of the book is to entertain, perhaps inspire you. My recollections of these events are
exactly that, recollections. I am an optimist.”

Optimist and a fighter—no pun intended— as he has been all his life.

His early life he says was: “hectic yet eventful,” with an independent dad, a funny mom and six “off the wall siblings.” Boxing was his passion—from an eight-year-old sparring at the Renfrew Boys Club in Calgary and tackling some punch bags in the prison gym, to turning pro and developing the TKO Sport Conditioning Program at his gym, The Fitness Guy.

“Boxing presented me my first taste of acceptance. It brought me the attention and admiration of my father. Further to that I connected with my true self in the ring. I loved to fight, I loved the emotional maelstrom that overtook me whenever I stepped through the ropes, that feeling was to me as good as drugs. It was the fear and the ferocity of pitting myself against another in the ring that brought me an immediate and overwhelming excitement I had never experienced before or since.”

And he took it seriously.

“The year after getting out of jail I won the provincial boxing title in my weight-class and went to the Canadian National Boxing Championships. I lost at the nationals but came home with a completely new and highly regarded social status. I was a positive role model.”

His path to being a fitness trainer wasn’t linear. While he worked out, he believes that he was on a path, one that was chosen for him.
“I pursued a physical education degree because I thought it would make me a better boxer.”

Estabrooks graduated from the University of Calgary in 1989. “I used that degree and started teaching aerobics, honestly because it paid money and exposed me to a lot of women! I didn’t consider it work. Personal training was an extension of that, not work, but because I was fascinated by the many ways that we could physically improve the human experience.”

Running has also always been part of his life. He ran five miles daily while boxing and after retiring from the ring, it became a life habit: “I realized that running was key to my sanity my vanity and my health.” A self-confessed slow runner, his passion is long distances: “longer distances give me a greater sense of accomplishment and provides me a calm background in which to order my thoughts.”

He proudly completed his first 100-kilometre race this past summer—an achievement made very special as it was in memory of his ‘running brother’ Gord Hobbins who passed away earlier this year. “What started as a tribute to Gord ended being a celebration of friendship, resilience, tenacity and joy,” he shared on Instagram.

His other passion is being on the water. “I have two happy places: waves or trails. Waves, surfing, is intensely in the moment, there is no time to think or strategize only to be, to react and to enjoy. It’s magic. Trails are the opposite in that there is nothing but time, each footstep is just a piece of an intricate mosaic.”

Estabrooks lives his life with positivity. The mistakes he has made are still in his psyche, but the impact he has made on others, and will continue to make, outweighs those regrets.

What does he want to achieve moving forward?

“Being a better father, friend and person. I plan through example inspiring others to movement. I am going to laugh a lot, love a lot, find some magic and live happily ever after.

IMPACT was granted exclusive excerpts from chapters in Pete Estabrooks’s new memoir. Warning: Contains adult material.

CHAPTER ONE:

Give Me All Your **** Money!

“No **** . . . pull the drawer out of the till and throw in everything including the big bills. You keep $50, the rest in the bag and I’m the **** out of here. For real! Hurry because I can just shoot you and keep the $50.

I’m yelling of course as much to convince myself as the youngster behind the till. It’s not a movie but it works like one. I am an 18-year-old in 1977 pre-internet, pre-support group, pre-young offenders act on a Wednesday night. I am wired to the point of near spontaneous combustion during this: my first ever attempt at armed robbery. It is seemingly an adventure of a lifetime. This spur of the moment event began three hours ago when Michael S stopped to grab a quarter ounce of cocaine with no cash in his hand. My line was, “Mike, I can’t front your ****. You are still $800 in the hole from last week.” So, Michael left. Oddly, he leaves, only to return 20 minutes later with a paper bag full of cash.

“What is up with that?” He spun a story of walking down the street to a gas station, pulling out a gun (air pistol) and walking away with money enough to settle his debts and get a couple of lines ahead. This tale of an easy and, more importantly, lucrative armed robbery lit up the room. That five-minute conversation sent a house full of middle-class kids out on a whim, a dare, from a coffee table in a shoddy house northwest-side Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Ten of us, kids, singly, doubled up, or in groups of three, split from our homebase to rob stores and gas stations with knives, guns, and bats, only to return home unscathed with paper lunch bags full of cash and stories. This is the definition of awesome.

That night was my first robbery, ever.

I hadn’t as much as heisted a gun prior to this. No criminal activity. Well, I sold drugs but that wasn’t a crime, it was my mode of supporting myself, my rent, my groceries, my life. My enrolment into what was my definition of crime was as easy as walking five blocks from home to a gas station, long hair stuffed into a ball cap, sawed off 22 casually tucked into my down jacket. Lesson one? Armed robbery is totally as much fun and easily as spine tingling as cocaine.

The next night because I was on a roll and, I was on mescaline. I thought the obvious route was to go two for two. I brought a friend along. Marc was cooler than I, yet somewhat hesitant. Through the layered state of reality this hallucinogen provided, this was a far more colourful adventure than the night before. I watched things unfold in patterns, lines, and in mesmerizing film noir fashion. We were undersized Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid imposters. I really am a tiny human being, Marc not much bigger. We were aiming for a cash score while enjoying a buzz.

I devised a simple plan for Marc and me:

amble into a convenience store, grab an Oh Henry (chocolate bar), hand over a 20-dollar bill, and wait for the proprietor to open the till. Once the till was open, I’d instructed Marc to pull out his impressive looking hand-tooled BB gun, point it directly at the proprietor, look crazy and scream.

This had worked for me before. From there it was a matter of collecting a bag full of cash and running. We were four for five before the game went sideways.

Push-ups, sit-ups, and squats daily were my first fitness program. Its offshoot and its consequences would shape the rest of my life in the long run.

It took me a moment of just standing there, grinning, watching, thinking that maybe I should do something about the tug of war occurring in front of me. Marc was clutching the gun’s butt end, while the infuriated proprietor was pulling on the barrel. This was his store, and he was having none of our ****. Shaken out of my reverie, I leaned solidly over the counter and launched the straight right hand that Art Pollit taught me years earlier at the Renfrew Boy’s Boxing Club. Art’s advice was to start with your feet planted, pivot your hips, and then snap your shoulders into line. Like a bystander, I watched while the body I was occupying threw a punch that connected with a surprisingly solid thud.

The owner/proprietor pin-wheeled in a slow-motion arc of colour behind the counter only to emerge a year, a month, or a second later holding the gun confidently in his right hand.

The next moment, or thought I had, was a befuddled, “what the ****?” I am standing holding a door handle in my hand, just a door handle, the curved part with the thumb release. In my mescaline-induced, endorphin fuelled attempt at a quick exit of the premises, I had gripped the handle of the door and without engaging the release, I’d merely torn the handle out of its mounting. There was a closed door, there was an inoperable handle, and there was me. Trying to formulate a next step with my heart rate hovering around 200 beats per minute, I dug my fingers into a minuscule gap between the door and its frame and attempted to pry the door open. He punctuated each of the chants with pops of what, thank God, was only a serious looking BB pistol. He was emptying each round into Marc’s back and head.

I am in slow motion while Marc, and the shooter, more respectfully, the proprietor of the business, are moving so fast, there are traces of colour trailing their heads, shoulders, arms, and legs. Somehow, my slow trumps their speed as I peel back deftly and duck out of the way, Marc skids past me and dives, headlong through the pane of glass that makes up most of the door. I watch in awe while the screaming loud crescendos turn red, blue, yellow, and green. I remember smiling and feeling lighter than light. I jump through the huge hole Marc created, and I gleefully run off into the night, making a conscious mental note to thank Marc later for the opportunity.

CHAPTER TWO:
Two Years Less a Day

I’m in oversized clothing sitting on a steel frame bed staring at the toilet across from me wishing that this was how I could spend the next two years less a day. I’m not tired, I’m exhausted. I’m not scared, I am paralyzed.

I was not sure, at that age, how I would deal with life’s crossroads. I now know that I look at the absolutely most horrible thing that can happen in any given situation and start there.

I assume that’s it. It is over. From that point, anything better than the absolute horror that I imagine is a total score,
a win. I am an optimistic pessimist. I’m pretty sure I’m going to die, but confident it won’t hurt that much.

By day three, boredom overtook fear. The exercise breaks, the half hour walks in the open-air cement compound revealed that perhaps there were hardened criminals in here, but most of my compatriots were like me, less than laser focused guys just getting by. I did not talk to anyone, avoided eye contact and was succinct when spoken to. I decided from day one, these were not my people.

To kill time, I took advantage of the library cart and read voraciously. I read a smorgasbord of what was available. I read Papillon, ironically, the greatest prison escape book ever and that inspired me to become fit in my cell, as if there were some correlation between a French penal colony and a suburban North American provincial jail. Push-ups, sit-ups, and squats daily were my first fitness program. Its offshoot and its consequences would shape the rest of my life in the long run, but its immediate effect set my next eighteen months in motion.

Day fourteen of incarceration was big, I’d seen the councillors, done the tests, and was marked as fit for the south wing: kitchen duty. I was out of cell block and onto the floor. South wing, like all wings, was dormitory style living. Beds, desks, and metal lockers for rows and rows. A guard walked me down, showed me to my area, my bed, and gave me the drill about what’s allowed not allowed, cleanliness, noise, cleanliness expectations and cleanliness. There was a theme, “you may be a criminal, but you’ll be a neat one while you are here.” The guard escorted me to the councillor who covers behaviour expectation, work hours and recreation hours, TV, library, gym. No work was assigned on the first day, so I lounge, I read, and around 4:30 I go to the gym. Fitness is my goal, but wouldn’t you know it, trouble follows me like a lonely puppy.

There is a guy doing bench press on the incline bench to my left, so I pick up a straight bar loaded with maybe all of twenty pound and begin to crank off a set of biceps curls.

“Pssst, hey cutie!” I pretended not to hear.

“Hey, cutie!” I heard that. I heard it and ignored it.

“Cutie talk to me. I know you must be in south wing; I’ll see you later.

”The word “later” had barely cleared his lips as I turned. I watched him **** himself knowing what was coming and not having time to get out from under his own bar. I lifted my bar overhead and it sounded like a sledgehammer cleanly striking a spike as it clashed and both bars formed an iron cross and crashed into his chest.

His legs were still astraddle the bench he was sitting on while his torso draped to the floor pinned by bars. Bending over him, I dug right in with both hands. Bam, bam, bam, pop bang, boom. Leveraging all 125 pounds of me with each punch. The BOOM coincided with a strange anti-gravity moment. It dawned on me my feet were lifting off the ground because my ragtag haircut was now entangled in the clenched fist of a previously unnoticed guard.

He lifted me deftly with one hand the other delivering an open-handed splat to the side of my face and dropped me ungraciously off the stage to the gym floor. I had just enough time to put two and two together, taste the rusty trace of blood in my mouth before being frog marched out of the gym, out of the wing, down a hall and dropped into a windowless cement cube.

This is solitary confinement. It is a room full of nothing. A cement room with a metal bed frame hanging from one wall a toilet sitting on another. Room service, no books, no conversation. 6:00 am breakfast. 12:00 noon lunch. 6:00 pm dinner. 9:00 pm a thin mattress and blanket delivered. 11:00 pm the lone light bulb turns off. 5:00 am lights on. 6:00 am mattress and blanket removed. Two weeks on my own.

My push-ups, sit-ups, and squats cranked up to twenty sets of ten each. That, and lots of curled up sleeping in a corner on the floor. Papillon, the amazing French prison escapee, I was not. 

Happily NEver After: a Fitness Miracle by Pete Estabrooks, will be
self-published and available by Christmas from www.thefitnessguy.me.

Photography: Brian Bookstrucker

Clothing: Less 17

You may also like: Cover Stories

Read This Story in Our 2025 Fall Fitness Issue

IMPACT Magazine’s Fall Fitness Issue 2025 featuring the The Fitness Guy, Pete Estabrooks, telling all with his shockingly candid new memoir revealing a story you never expected, as well as former pro soccer player Simon Keith and Paralympian Erica Scarff. Find your ultimate guide to cross-training for runners, no jump cardio and superset workouts along with the best trail running shoes in our 2025 Trail Running Shoe Review, and so much more!

Kiin Run Club – Paris
Instagram – DLSCHKsNRad
Facebook – we.are.kiin

Photography – Rony Wan

Fun, community, welcoming: that is how Maria Sanchez, founder of Kiin, describes this vibrant running club. Sanchez started the club in 2020 during COVID-19, as a way to make connections and bring together people from all walks of life. Boosted by social media, the club grew and now organizes two runs a week and partakes in races such as the Paris Marathon and Half-Marathon.

The name Kiin is derived from the English word kin (your tribe) and the Greek word kean (to move). Kiin: a safe space to meet up with your tribe and move together.

They meet Wednesdays at 7 a.m. for a seven-kilometre run and Sundays at 9 a.m. for 12 kilometres. All runs start at Le Peleton Café with routes that take in iconic landscapes such as the Marais and Seine River pathway, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and Ile Saint-Louis.
Visitors are welcome to join. Just show up!

All levels are welcome.

Retiro Running – Madrid
Instagram – retirorunning
Facebook – retirorunningmadrid

Photography – Manuel Méndez

Retiro Running takes its name from El Retiro Park, one of the largest city parks in Madrid and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is here on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. that this social run club meets.

The club was founded in 2021 by Manuel Méndez who wanted to foster a relaxed form of running while embracing camaraderie. The park is a perfect spot for the group to embark on various distances from five to 12 kilometres, exploring the 142-hectare site that features 150,000 trees, meandering paths, and a lake.

There are also organized runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the winter and 8 p.m. in the summer. The club also explores other areas of Madrid including the Paseo del Prado, a magnificent boulevard that is a highlight of artistic splendour, featuring the Prado Museum and the Neptune Fountain. In addition to running, the club organizes other sports and social events to embrace and foster an all-inclusive community.

DNA Running Collective – Berlin
Instagram – dedicationnattitude

Photography – Aaron McCammon

DNA’s weekly run motto is “Run for All.” On Tuesdays at 6:45 p.m., runners gather on Maybachufer in the district of Neukölln to run along the Landwehr Canal, one of the many iconic areas of Berlin.

DNA (Dedication N Attitude) is a multi-cultural club with over 18 nationalities represented, welcoming runners from all over the world. As one of the more diverse running clubs in Berlin, they run distances from five kilometres to marathons, welcoming both serious and casual runners.

Berlin’s running scene is vibrant and there is no shortage of notable districts and landmarks for the club to explore. The Tiergarten is a large urban park—and where the Berlin Marathon starts—with tree-lined streets and paths. The Berlin Wall Trail is a historical path, perfect for exploring the dramatic history of the city, and then there are the bridges, which the city is built around, connecting diverse neighbourhoods. With no membership fees, DNA’s philosophy is to be an all-inclusive club making running accessible to anyone.

London City Runners – London
Website – www.londoncityrunners.com
Instagram – Londoncityrunners

Photography – London City Runners

London features many famous landmarks and there is no better way to explore the U.K.’s capital city than by running on the River Thames pathway. That is exactly what the London City Runners (LCR) do every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

The club, founded in 2010, styles itself as a social hub in the city, attracting hundreds of runners over the years. The weekly river runs all start at the LCR Clubhouse on Druid Street, where everyone is encouraged to stay after the run for a drink.

On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, the runners head west along the pathway towards the Millennium Bridge for a six-and-a-half-kilometre run, Blackfriars Bridge for eight kilometres or Westminster Bridge for 11 kilometres. On Sundays, the route goes east with options for a 10- or 18-kilometre route that takes in Greenland Pier or Tower Bridge. There is no charge for the runs, but registering as a member on their website is encouraged. The club also has track nights and a “Couch to 5K” program.

Kirribilli Runners – Sydney
Website – www.kirribillirunners.org
Facebook – kirribillirunners

For 19 years, the Kirribilli Runners has been active on the Sydney running scene, hosting twice weekly runs and participating in community events. This free social run club welcomes runners of all ages and abilities as they pursue running goals and support local races.

Their name is derived from the Aboriginal word kiarabilli, meaning “good fishing spot.” On Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. they gather to run the KR Classic, a scenic six-kilometre route that starts at the Harbour Bridge and takes in the Cahill expressway, local tombstone art and the world-famous Sydney Opera House.

The run, suitable for all abilities, is followed by drinks at the Kirribilli Hotel and then pizza. On Mondays at 6:30 p.m., there is an intermediate training run of 10 kilometres—the KR10K—to Waterman’s Cove, Barangaroo, home of the world’s largest underwater living sea wall, preserved as a garden. The run starts and ends at the Harbour Bridge.

Midnight Runners – Worldwide
Website – www.midnightrunners.com
Instagram – midnightrunners

Photography – David Altabev

Want to incorporate a few burpees during your run … and run to music? Then the Midnight Runners could be your crew. Located in cities worldwide, this volunteer-led group puts the fun into every run.

Their runs are from five to 10 kilometres but are intermingled with bodyweight exercises designed so you can mix and mingle with fellow runners during the run. These bootcamp runs are all about bringing like-minded people together to get to know each other and the city they live in. Each run ends with a social event with dancing, music and more fun!

Midnight Runners are in 18 cities across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Latin America, and North America, with 240 “crew” captains and more than 10,000 members.

To find a city, check out their website which has a full list, then download their free app—Heylo—find the schedule, and book the event (recommended as they can sell out).

Parkrun – Worldwide
Website – www.parkrun.com
Instagram – parkrunuk

Photography – Joseph Camilleri

When looking for one of the greatest running club successes in the world, look no further than parkrun. In 2004, 13 runners started the concept of a free community run on a weekend with the aim of running five kilometres. Fast forward to 2025, and 22 countries and millions of participants get together weekly in what has become a global running phenomenon.

The non-competitive, volunteer-led initiative originated in Bushy Park, Teddington, U.K. with the simple “cookie-cutter concept” that could be easily replicated by other communities. From tabulating results on paper and using washers bought from hardware stores, a barcode results system was developed, which is now used by parkrun organizers.

Parkrun is free, but registration is required, and with a scannable barcode, participants can see their results and how they progress weekly. The parkrun website has a list of the countries with runs, so it is perfect for those travelling who want to join a group of like-minded individuals. Some communities also have a two-kilometre junior park run option for children.

November Project
Website – www.november-project.com
Facebook – novemberproject

Photography – Kim Ngo

If you find yourself in a city and want more than just a run, the November Project could be the challenge you are looking for. This “free fitness movement” is in 53 locations worldwide with over 3,000 members working out weekly. While the majority are in North America, there are groups in cities such as London, Hong Kong, and Sydney and others scattered in Eastern Europe and Asia.

The workouts depend on location, but in addition to running, exercises can include stairclimbing, hill repeats, jumping, cardio, core, and high intensity interval training (HIIT), all led by experienced leaders.

The groups all meet early weekday mornings (usually 6:30 a.m.) from one to three days a week. All abilities are welcome from the casual runner to marathoners and triathletes looking to fit in a weekly workout, no matter where they are. Locations are on the website with each group listing on social media where to meet. Just show up!

Go! Running Tours – Worldwide
Website – www.gorunningtours.com
Instagram – gorunningtours

Photography – Go! Running Tours

“Providing running experiences for runners that travel” is Go! Running Tours’ motto. With over 60 destinations worldwide and more added annually, Go! Running Tours offers travellers sightseeing runs led by local runners, who not only know the best running routes,
but who are knowledgeable about their city and what to see.

Tours include a five or 10-kilometre Ancient Athens Tour, an eight-kilometre Best Views Tour of Porto, Portugal, a 13-kilometre Architectural Tour in Tokyo, or a 10-kilometre Rio de Janeiro Copacabana Beach Sunrise Tour.

There is also a service called “Just Run” for those who are interested in the sightseeing runs but don’t want to stop as much because they are training for a race or just prefer continuous running. “Just Run” is offered in 30 cities with distances of seven, 10 or 21 kilometres.
Choices include a seven-kilometre run in Bangkok, 10-kilometre run in Buenos Aires, or a 21-kilometre run in London, all with local guides. 

You may also like: Cross-Country Road Trip

Read This Story in Our 2025 Summer Outdoor Travel Issue
IMPACT Magazine Summer Outdoor Travel Issue 2025 featuring Shanda Hill, a Canadian Ultra Triathlete who is redefining the sport. Run on some epic trails in our own backyard or join a run club. Eat your way for Mental Clarity, fueling while travelling, seasonal eating and some kitchen must haves. Become strong and fit in only 20 minutes a day, and enjoy some tasty drinks guilt free and so much more.

Born in Chilliwack, B.C., and raised in Vernon, B.C., Hill spent much of her teenage years and young adult life competing in BMX racing. And she was good, achieving titles in various categories across national BMX events.

But Hill’s BMX dreams were stopped in their tracks one fateful spring day in 2003. The young athlete was riding her bike on a road near her hometown when a Chevy Blazer 4×4 SUV, weighing some 4,000 pounds, hit Hill from behind, sending the 21-year-old BMX rider flying from her bike.

The accident left Hill with a traumatic brain injury and severe trauma to her back.

The future was suddenly uncertain. There was no assurance that she would fully recover. She was told she wouldn’t race again. Hill’s memory was impacted, her equilibrium, depth perception, and quick-twitch timing—an essential response needed for split-second reactions in BMX—were all damaged.

Hill admits that about five years into her rehabilitation, she came to a realization:

“I had been expecting that at some point medical professionals would be able to put my life back together,” she says. “And I came to a point where I realized there was nobody who was going to give me back what I wanted, which was my life before the accident.”

Hill decided that the only way forward was to pick up the pieces and move on with what she had. Eventually, that meant turning to running.

The rest? It was all just happenstance. A friend suggested Hill try a triathlon. A few short years after competing in her first triathlon—an Ironman distance—another friend suggested that she look into an ultra. Then an ultra became a double-ultra and then a triple and now Hill is shattering records everywhere she goes.

She’s currently the only person on earth to complete three double deca triathlon continuous races, which is equivalent to 20 Ironman triathlon distances completed in one effort. That’s a 76-kilometre swim, 3,600-kilometre bike ride, and 844-kilometre run.

She is also the first woman ever to complete a triple deca triathlon continuous, consisting of a 114-kilometre swim, a 5,400-kilometre bike ride, and a 1,266-kilometre run. And on top of that, Hill holds the women’s world record for the most International Ultra Triathlon Association (IUTA) Ironman distances completed.

But for the B.C. native, it’s not about the records.

“It’s about searching for excellence inside my soul to know what I’m capable of,” says Hill.

And she keeps proving time and time again that she’s capable of phenomenal things.

In March of this year, Hill competed in the Ultra Tri South Africa, finishing the 10x continuous ultra in 279 hours and 30 minutes. She was the first and only woman to cross the finish line and finished an incredible second overall.

Amazingly, ultra triathlons are not Hill’s day job. Between races, she works for a natural food store in her hometown and does landscaping work in the summer. She lives on a farm with her teenage son, two dogs, three goats, one miniature horse, and two cats, providing a peaceful yet spirited environment that is much-needed between races.

As for training?

Hill acknowledges that her landscaping work could be considered cross-training as it’s hard on the body, but that’s certainly not why she does it.

“I’m not a big believer that more miles are going to make me a better athlete,” she says. “I think that rest and recovery is the most important thing.”

Citing nine hours of sleep—much more than the maximum three hours she gets during races—as crucial to her recovery, Hill attributes her success in triathlons to figuring out how to nourish her body properly.

“I believe the key component to everything exercise—and life in general—is when you can find good nutrition. When you can put good nutrition into your brain, you can make good choices, and every other area of your life will benefit from it. We can make our lives better.”

As for what that nutrition is? Between races she gets most of her protein from tofu. Nuts and carbs are also important to her diet—with bread and chocolate two of her favourite staples.

During races, it’s all about the calories. Hill takes in thousands of calories a day, constantly eating when she has the chance. Her go-to is a special cashew and vegetable soup mix that she crafted herself, paired with tofu and piles of veggies.

Another critical element for the ultra-triathlete in between races has been oxygen therapy, which she says is the only real training she gets besides work. Hill explains that twice a week she sits on a bike while wearing a mask, and a trainer flips a switch to reduce oxygen to 11 per cent. Then, they perform intervals of flooding her body with 80 per cent oxygen.

The biggest impact Hill has seen with oxygen therapy is in her sleep. Managing sleep was one of her biggest struggles when she was first starting out in ultra triathlons. Due to her brain injury, Hill suffered more than most people with the lack of sleep. Six hours a night was the minimum her body required to have maximum performance.

“What’s fascinating is that since I started doing oxygen therapy, I’ve been able to get my sleep down to three hours a night and not have fatigue,” says Hill.

Hill’s oxygen therapy is provided at a discount by one of her sponsors, Eve Volve Wellness. But astoundingly, Hill isn’t backed by any major sponsors. Rancho Vignol provides food, and The Starting Block hooks her up with shoes. But it’s all thanks to donations on her website—shandahillultra.com—that she is able to travel the world and compete.

“[Donations] have mostly been by Canadian people who have stepped forward and said, ‘We want to see you achieve your goals,’” says Hill.
And it’s not hard to imagine why Canadians are getting behind their superstar from B.C. Hill’s grit and resolve are unparalleled, and she’ll stop at nothing to compete.

In 2016, during Hill’s first year racing ultras, she tore her quad muscle during the USA Ultra Triathlon Quintuple Anvil, which consists of a 19-kilometre swim, 900-kilometre bike ride, and 210-kilometre run, all to be completed within a 132-hour time limit.

“To date, it’s been the most painful injury I’ve ever had. I didn’t know how I would continue,” says Hill. “I was so invested in that race. I sacrificed so much to be at that race, and there was a desire in me to finish.”

Despite the injury, Hill made the decision to keep going. She says that within half an hour, her torn quad went numb. Not only did she finish the race with 15 hours to spare, she was the first woman to cross the finish line.

And in June of this year, while racing the Bretzel Ultra Triathlon in Colmar, France, Hill had an accident when getting off her bike. Her shoe didn’t unclip in time and she hit her ankle on the pedal, opening a deep cut that required stitches.

She was asked to stop and go to medical. She said no. Luckily, one of her support crew was able to stitch her up so she could power on.

With a bruised and stitched ankle paired with extreme temperatures climbing into the mid-30s, the 422-kilometre run took a toll on the unyielding athlete. Despite the injury and relentless heat, Hill still came home to finish first place among the women and second overall.

Hill repeatedly demonstrates that there is no limit to what the body and mind can achieve. She’s breaking barriers, setting records, and showing that determination and resilience are key ingredients for reaching our potential.

“I’m in awe of what our bodies can do,” she says.

And on whether she will continue chasing incredible feats in ultra triathlons, she has this to say: “I still have a love for it. I still have a passion for it. [I wonder] what else is possible? And so, I am still exploring what my own potential is.”

One thing is for sure: Canadians and the world over should keep an eye on Shanda Hill from Vernon, B.C., because she is a fighter—a powerhouse—and she will continue to achieve greatness. 

Photography: Paulo Henrique Pigozzi

You may also like: Cover Stories

Read This Story in Our 2025 Summer Outdoor Travel Issue
IMPACT Magazine Summer Outdoor Travel Issue 2025 featuring Shanda Hill, a Canadian Ultra Triathlete who is redefining the sport. Run on some epic trails in our own backyard or join a run club. Eat your way for Mental Clarity, fueling while travelling, seasonal eating and some kitchen must haves. Become strong and fit in only 20 minutes a day, and enjoy some tasty drinks guilt free and so much more.

Truly, there is no shortage of destinations you can jet off to for a little adventure.

But sometimes in our quest to find the most daring and spectacular places, we forget about the highlights in our own backyard. That is why we are taking you on a cross-country trip of the incredible trails to run or hike in Canada’s provinces and territories.

British Columbia – Juan de Fuca Trail
47 kilometres | Photography – Logan Kuzyk

Hugging 47 kilometres of the wild Pacific coastline on Vancouver Island, the Juan de Fuca Trail is an adventurer’s dream.

With old-growth forests, rocky headlands and sweeping ocean views, Juan de Fuca has been described as a “mini” West Coast Trail. But without the strict permit systems and crowds of Canada’s most popular long-distance trail, hikers and runners can enjoy similar challenges of rugged terrain and significant elevation change with less hassle.

Hikers looking to overnight on the trail only have to pay a small fee to stay at one of the designated campgrounds along the way.

Alberta – Northover Ridge
34 kilometres | Photography – Arjay Neyra

Most people visiting Alberta for the first time will want to head out to the world-famous Banff. And we can’t argue that Banff has some breathtaking trails, but for those looking for a more venturesome experience, Kananaskis is the place to go—more specifically, the Northover Ridge.

This 34-kilometre loop is perfect for the adventurous, with over 1,500 metres of elevation gain and a thrilling knife-edge traverse along the Continental Divide.

Saskatchewan – Valley of 1000 Devils
11.4 kilometres | Photography – Benjamin Hutton, Tourism Saskachewan

Experience the uniqueness of Canada’s landscape with this rugged 11-kilometre out-and-back in Saskatchewan’s Grasslands National Park.
Pack your sunscreen and water for this hike because as the name suggests, there is no protection from the sun in the badlands landscape. Plan to start your hike early, before the heat of the day sets in as temperatures in the badlands can be 10C hotter than elsewhere. Despite the heat, hikers are treated to solitude and striking terrain as they pass hoodoos, steep coulees, and sun-scorched lands.

Manitoba – Spirit Sands & Devil’s Punch Bowl
10.4 kilometres | Photography – Travel Manitoba

Canada’s vast landscape keeps on giving on the Spirit Sands & Devil’s Punch Bowl Trail in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, where hikers and runners are treated to an array of scenery.

From Manitoba’s only sand dunes to grassland prairies, rolling hills, forests, and lakes, this 10-kilometre trail truly has something for everyone.

Expect a workout for your calves as you battle the shifting sand underfoot, and know that your reward for tricky terrain is breezy ridges where wildflowers grow in abundance. And once you reach the Devil’s Punch Bowl, enjoy the dazzling turquoise waters.

Ontario – Top of the Giant
22.4 kilometres | Photography – Destination Ontario

This is a trail that even native Ontarians living in the province’s metropolitan areas are going to want to make a trip for. Rising dramatically above Lake Superior in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park near Thunder Bay, the Top of the Giant Trail is Ontario’s ultimate big-view hike.

The 22-kilometre out-and-back is perfect for hikers and runners looking for a challenge with a big payoff. Visitors pass through forests of spruce, birch and poplars and along the shoreline of Lake Superior before climbing towards the high point of the trail where they take in the staggering views—a sheer cliff some 300 metres above the world’s largest freshwater lake.

Quebec – Acropole des Draveurs Trail
11.2 kilometres | Photography – Ian Roberge, Tourisme Charlevoix

Carrying on with the quad- and calf-burning trails, the Acropole des Draveurs Trail in Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park will give you a challenge your whole body will feel, but a reward your mind won’t soon forget.

This incredibly popular hiking spot north of Quebec City does have an entrance fee for the national park and there is a free shuttle that visitors must take to reach the start of the trailhead.

Once on the trail, expect steep switchbacks and climbs with three main summits, each with increasingly magnificent views of the river valley, lush forest, and surrounding peaks.

New Brunswick – Fundy Footpath
41 kilometres | Photography – Nick Hawkins, Tourism New Brunswick

Stretching 41 kilometres from the Big Salmon River and hugging the coastline to the Fundy National Park, this rugged, world-class trail should be at the top of all trail runners’ and hikers’ bucket lists.

The Fundy Footpath offers an unparallelled wilderness experience as travellers hike through forests, pass waterfalls, and cross pebble beaches and ravines—including two tidal rivers that can only be crossed at low tide.

Camping conditions are primitive with no designated sites and water treatment is necessary, so make sure you’re prepared with all of the essentials before taking on this mammoth trail.

Nova Scotia – Cape Split Trail
13.2 kilometres | Photography – Patrick Rojo, Tourism Nova Scotia

The Skyline Trail may be the first trail to come to mind when we think of Nova Scotia hiking. But in 2025, it’s so popular that it reaches capacity most days. That’s why we’re recommending a less crowded but no less stunning option.

The Cape Split Trail offers a mix of dense woodland beauty and scenic lookouts over the Bay of Fundy, where hikers can catch a glimpse of the world’s highest tides.

But the true gem of this hike comes at the trail’s dramatic headland, with towering clifftop views of where the Minas Basin meets the Bay of Fundy.

Prince Edward Island – Confederation Trail
449 kilometres | Photography – Sander Meurs, Tourism PEI

Built on a decommissioned railway line, Confederation Trail runs the entire length of P.E.I. Although the main trail runs 273 kilometres from Tignish in the west to Elmira in the east, the trail branches off to various towns and communities on the island, bringing the trail’s total length to 449 kilometres.

The trail may be long, but it’s flat and easy to tackle in shorter stints. Confederation Trail is also more than just your average hiking trail with over 1,600 geocaches and nearly 250 bilingual interpretive panels along the route.

Newfoundland – Gros Morne Mountain Trail
15.4 kilometres | Photography – Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism

It’s true that Gros Morne Mountain Trail captures the raw and untouched beauty of Newfoundland, but similar to other trails on this list, it’s not for the faint-hearted. This challenging loop will test your limits as you climb nearly 800 metres from lush forests to the summit of Newfoundland’s second-highest peak.

Expect views of Ten Mile Pond, Long Range Mountains, wildlife and wildflowers. Those hoping to tackle this trail should be prepared with the right clothes and plenty of water. Also, plan your visit wisely as the trail is closed for ecological reasons from May to late June each year.

Yukon – Grizzly Lake Trail
22.2 kilometres | Photography – Michael Overbeck, Travel Yukon

Grizzly Lake Trail is located in Tombstone Territorial Park, with Dawson City the closest hub about an hour-and-a-half south.

This is a hike that takes a little more preparation than some of the others. A permit must be purchased if you intend to camp, plus, all trail users must register and attend a backcountry orientation before starting the hike.

But don’t worry. The preparation will be worth it to experience the untamed wilderness of Canada’s north. With rolling grassy meadows, jagged peaks and alpine lakes, this is a hike you won’t soon forget.

Northwest Territories – Canol Heritage Trail
350 kilometres | Photography – Hans Pfaff, NWT Tourism

If you’re looking for solitude and seclusion, this is the hike for you. You can put your cell phone away—unless you want to take photos of the dramatic landscape—because there is no service along the trail.

From Norman Wells, N.W.T., through the Mackenzie Mountains and ending at the Macmillan Pass on the Yukon border, this is one of Canada’s most challenging hikes. But if you’re up for the challenge, it’s also one of the most rewarding. You’ll trek through rugged mountain valleys, tundra meadows, and past relics of military history.

Nunavut – Apex Trail
5 kilometres | Photography – Isaac Demeester

It’s not the territory’s most extreme trail—that title goes to the 97-kilometre Akshayuk Pass—but this is certainly a great trail to get accustomed to Nunavut’s landscape with beautiful scenery along the coast. Located near Iqaluit, runners and hikers alike can enjoy a relatively relaxed journey along the bayside.

What makes this a truly special (and Canadian) trail is that you can see a historic Hudson’s Bay Company establishment; old building foundations and rusting machinery tell of a once-booming establishment from 1949.

Some sections of the trail can be hard to follow, so an offline GPS map of the trail is recommended. 

You may also like: Cross-Country Road Trip

Read This Story in Our 2025 Summer Outdoor Travel Issue
IMPACT Magazine Summer Outdoor Travel Issue 2025 featuring Shanda Hill, a Canadian Ultra Triathlete who is redefining the sport. Run on some epic trails in our own backyard or join a run club. Eat your way for Mental Clarity, fueling while travelling, seasonal eating and some kitchen must haves. Become strong and fit in only 20 minutes a day, and enjoy some tasty drinks guilt free and so much more.

Six days in, his appendages and eyelashes are frozen, his clothes are wet and won’t dry, his back aches. His level of exhaustion is nearing the danger zone. Even his Garmin has stopped working due to the extreme subarctic conditions.

There are moments of beauty that permeate the desolation and discomfort, like the aurora borealis glimmering overhead in their ghostly beauty. But after 366 kilometres on the course, Crowe can’t deny the reality: the relentless cold is putting his safety at serious risk.

The 54-year-old Calgarian and tech-company executive was one of 46 racers in the 2025 Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra, held February 2 to 14. Participants of this race, billed as the world’s coldest ultramarathon, battle across 640 kilometres of undulating landscape through snow, ice and cold. They follow an old sled-dog route that joins the communities of Teslin and Faro. The wilderness is remote—the conditions brutal.

“I could feel that things were starting to come undone,” Crowe remembers. “I could barely stand upright… I had to think about my safety. How far am I going to push this? When is enough, enough?”

He concluded it was time to exit the race and return to his family.

Leaving a race early is tough for an endurance athlete like Crowe because they devote their lives to setting and reaching goals and challenging themselves physically and mentally.

“There is something really powerful about doing things that you think you can’t do and building that muscle around self-belief—of overcoming doubt, of overcoming obstacles, of calling on your tenacity and your courage,”

he explains. “They’re all muscles; you need to build them… When you [do], your life will be so much more fulfilled.”

There is something really powerful about doing things that you think you can’t do and building that muscle around self-belief.

After leaving the race, Crowe learned that more than 30 people exited before he did. A few had been rescued by helicopters;
some were recovering in hospital from frostbite. Only three runners finished the Yukon Ultra this year.

Crowe was disappointed in not finishing, but not just because he fell short of his goal. He wanted to fulfill a promise to the friend who’d inspired him to run in the first place.

In 2010, Crowe’s good friend, Ryan Westerman, was just 37 years old when he succumbed to brain cancer. It was in his memory that Crowe founded Give a Mile, a non-profit that helps people fly to visit loved ones who are terminally ill so they can say goodbye. With charity status and operations in both Canada and the United States, Give a Mile has, since its founding in 2013, flown more than 1,300 family members to or from 151 countries using 61,275,771 miles.

Crowe hoped to raise another 37 flights—Westerman’s age at his passing—by becoming the first person to complete two monumental challenges in the Yukon in one year: stand-up paddleboarding 715 kilometres on the Yukon River Quest and finishing the Yukon Ultra.

In June 2024, he completed the Yukon River Quest challenge, voyaging from Whitehorse to Dawson City in the world’s longest annual paddling race. He not only completed the race; he earned a bronze medal and his first podium finish as an endurance athlete.

The Yukon Ultra, however, is the one that got away.

It was to cope with the grief of Westerman’s illness that Crowe started running to begin with. Watching his friend at the end of life, Crowe was motivated to do things he’d dreamed of but hadn’t done—like running a marathon.

Watching Westerman, Crowe concluded, “You want to be deliberate about the time you use. There’s only so much of it, so be very awake to how you’re using that time… Decide, ‘These are the things I want to do. I’m doing them because they are important to me.’”

A month after Westerman passed in 2010, Crowe completed his first marathon and has piled on the mileage ever since. He is committed to not putting off goals, even when facing his own challenges, like a serious health issue that resulted in hospitalization in 2022.

Six weeks after Crowe left the frigid Yukon Ultra, he travelled to another extreme temperature zone and completed the Arizona Monster 300, a 304-mile journey through southern Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, a rugged and challenging route through backcountry terrain and high elevation mountains.

He felt he owed it to his supporters who helped him raise the 37 flights in Westerman’s name to complete an ultra.

“It was incredible to get to the finish line, to overcome that self-doubt [after the Yukon Ultra]. It felt like I was on top of the world,” he says.

“If you’re right now sitting on a couch reading this, and you think you can’t even run a 5K, you can. Believe in yourself. Put the work in, and you will do it. You’re going to feel amazing at the end.” 

Photography: Graham McKerrell
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It was a punishing race for the mother, but despite the sleepless and nausea-ridden race, Case knew there was only one thing that mattered.

“I didn’t want to show up on the finish line destroyed,” she says. “Pepper comes first.”

A few months before Hardrock 100, in May of 2025, Case made headlines when photos of her breastfeeding a then-six-month-old Pepper during the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia race in Wales went viral.

Case had to get special permission from race organizers to add an extra stop to the course so she could feed Pepper for a third time during the 100-mile race. Despite the extra stop, she still managed to place first among the women.

The Ultra-Trail Snowdonia was Case’s first ultramarathon postpartum and her first in nearly three years. After suffering a miscarriage in 2022 and taking a hiatus from running due to fertility struggles, Case said it was just as important for Pepper as it was for her to get back into running.

“Mentally, it was the best thing to do,” she says. “Every time I went out, I connected with my old self that hadn’t changed.”

While running felt physically trying after giving birth, Case says that realizing she was still a runner helped her process all of the changes that come with becoming a mother.

Snowdonia was an extension of that, and making sure Pepper was fed during the race was just a piece of the logistical puzzle she had to work out. While some applauded the new mother for her dedication and determination, others felt it was selfish and performative.

“It speaks to the patriarchal, outdated ideas of what a new mom should look like,” she notes. “I’ve really worked to respond to those comments … A happy mom is really important for baby.”

While Snowdonia was a confidence boost, Hardrock was a reality check. Back at work as a UN human rights lawyer, Case was balancing long hours with the demands of training, all while caring for Pepper.

“It was a reminder for me of how much moms go through,” she says, “but what is possible to do with support.”

The Hardrock 100 is an unforgiving physical test, pushing participants through 100 miles (160 kilometres) and a total elevation change of 20,237 metres. For Case, it carried an emotional weight too—it was the same course where, shortly after racing it in 2022, she first learned that she was pregnant. She was there to close a loop.

Yet, 30 miles in, she was throwing up.

It was a reminder for me of how much moms go through, but what is possible to do with support.

“It was really tough to push through that,” she says.

This race was supposed to be a marker of all that the 43-year-old had achieved since 2022. Instead, she was in survival mode, running on four hours of sleep, caring for Pepper and battling the urge to quit.

“I had to remind myself why I was there,” she says.

“I just wanted to show Pepper I could do hard things.” Pulling back, she was able to get to a place where she could enjoy the last half of the race. Finishing fifth—and taking Pepper into her arms to cross the finish line with a bounce in her step—Case had stayed on pace with the top runners for the final leg and even beat her 2022 time by an hour.

While Case is determined to set an example for Pepper, she’s also helping girls and young women around the world. At the beginning of her ultramarathon career in 2014, while working in Afghanistan, Case was told she’d probably have to give up running while living and working in conflict zones.

“That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull,” she says.

Determined to use running to make a difference, she raised approximately $10,000 for a women’s shelter. But through that work, she learned the Afghan women really just wanted to be able to get outside themselves—something they couldn’t do because of the war and the type of abuse they had experienced. In the process of making that happen, Case founded Free to Run.

Operating in some of the world’s most challenging regions—including Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine—Free to Run has helped create positive change in the lives of thousands of young women and girls by using running and rights-based programs to support leadership, agency and health.

Making women seen has been a pillar in those programs.

As Case puts it, “That can absolutely change this idea of what women should be doing.”

Case’s story has also been captured on film. Her first documentary highlighted the work of Free to Run, while her upcoming second film will follow her running journey, pregnancy challenges and her early days of motherhood. Three years of filming wrapped up at Hardrock, closing another loop for her.

The film will premiere at the August UTMB event, and Case hopes to see it on a streaming platform this fall after a film festival circuit.
For Case, challenging cultural norms and stigmas isn’t just part of her work and charity, it’s integral to her approach as an ultrarunner and mother. She’s proving what is possible when women are seen, supported and empowered.  

Photography: Carrie Highman

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The 43-year-old from Kelowna, B.C., had started running two years before. The streak, announced to her 300 followers on Instagram, was a way to prove to herself that she could set an ambitious objective and achieve it.

“I was somebody who didn’t finish anything like projects or my university education. I quit,” she reflects.

“I needed my own School of Hard Knocks, so I created it for myself.”

Today, more than 2,200 runs later, Mikulic’s streak continues, and with countless kilometres under her belt, her capacity has expanded exponentially. In 2024, she ran two 100-kilometre ultramarathons; this year, she is training for one at 100 miles.

Commitment to the streak changed Mikulic’s life. Though she continues to work full-time as a financial advisor at a bank, her 300 Instagram followers ballooned to more than 100,000. She publishes a magazine, Run Your Life, for runners of all shapes, sizes and abilities. She hosts empowering travel retreats for women, designed for people who, according to the website, love to “hike a 5K and then indulge in a donut.”
“When you ask me why I do this, it’s because I keep proving to myself that I can,” says Mikulic. “I can create a magazine.

I can create life-changing retreats for women that women will love. I can complete a 100-kilometre race.”

When you ask me why I do this, it’s because I keep provingto myself that I can.

What running hasn’t done is change Mikulic’s size—and that’s okay with her. At 5’11’’, the 50-year-old runner weighs in at 250 pounds. Unlike many people so strongly committed to fitness, Mikulic is not motivated by weight loss.

She knows what she needs to do to lose the weight, but doing so isn’t her objective.

“Before, I thought I couldn’t do any of these things, and I would walk around with these self-debilitating thoughts in my head that were so damaging,” she explains, noting she’s faced mental health challenges throughout her life—childhood trauma, postpartum depression and anxiety.

“Despite being 250 pounds, I’ve proven over and over again that you do not need to be small to complete things; you do not need to be smaller to finish an ultramarathon. You don’t. It’s just about consistency and building up muscle memory in your body so that your body knows, ‘we do this.’”

Often photographed in bright pink running gear with her long brown hair in a floppy bun atop her head, Mikulic says her perception of what a runner should look like has changed since she started logging kilometres every day. She celebrates what a body can do without aiming for thinness.

“Running is about enjoying the movement of your body,” she says.

Her focus on the body’s potential appeals to her followers, who are of diverse sizes—from 0 to 10 to 18 and beyond.

She is motivated by “the Sandras sitting in their living room, wondering ‘will I ever be able to do that? Will I ever be able to be on that start line and do I deserve to be? Do I deserve to cross the finish line?’

“Yes, you do!” she states definitively.

This year, Mikulic will host three Run Your Life retreats, including two in Croatia, where she lived before immigrating to Canada as a child with her family. Her four adult children will join her along with a sold-out group in Dubrovnik in April.

The North American retreat will take place in Arizona in October, the week before she runs the Javelina Jundred (pronounced “Havelina Hundred”), a 100-mile race through McDowell Mountain Regional Park, north of Phoenix. She’s scheduled a few recovery days between the retreat and the ultramarathon to prepare herself to face her longest distance yet.

The habits she formed and maintains through her streak have helped her complete lengthy and challenging training runs, some lasting 30 hours with rests in between.

“You are the only person who’s going to get you through 100 miles while you’re in the dark in the desert,” she explains.

What makes long-distance running particularly amazing to Mikulic is that she—a middle-aged, plus-size financial analyst—will run the same course as elite athletes.

“There’s no other sport where you could actually cross paths by running a loop and see that person who’s pacing for first place,” she says. “You cannot be on the same start line as an Olympic gymnast; you don’t even get to the gymnasium.

You can’t be on the same start line as an Olympic 100-metre runner.”

“That’s the beauty of this sport,” she continues. “I share the same dirt as the winners. Our sweat falls in the same dirt. There are still gatekeepers, but the gates are slowly falling down. Don’t wait to start tomorrow. Start with what you have today.” 

Photography: Stephanie Lucile Photography

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