Hi and Welcome to the 7th Annual ANNIE'S PACE GLOBAL ADVENTURE (APGA)!!
I need your help!
APGA is an annual Heart Fundraiser which has raised $18,454 in 4 years with all of your help! Below is my heart story and why people are participating globally every May for heart health! Enjoy the read!
https://vimeo.com/707059617 - just highlight and copy/paste to watch APGA video!
I'm Annie Smith - I'm a Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor of 28 years; health & fitness is one of my greatest passions ever! Especially educating people on how to create a balanced, healthy and mindful lifestyle while enjoying life and having FUN while exercising is the best. Eight years ago I became a heart patient when I was diagnosed with a very rare, incurable, life-threatening heart disease, Cardiac Sarcoidosis (& systemic Sarcoidosis)....
My life as I knew it came to an abrupt halt when I was first diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoidosis and I was told that my heart was very, very sick. I had an ICD implanted (pacemaker and defibrillator) on emergency in 2015. Since then I've had countless procedures, tests and surgeries and I take many medications daily to help sustain me. Unfortunately the cardiac sarcoidosis scarred my heart so I'm in full heart block meaning I'm completely dependent on my pacemaker - I don't have a heart rhythm anymore (the defibrillator is because I have tachycardia as well, which is speeding heart rate).
However, .... I don't let this stop me from continuing to teach fitness and work out daily (modified to what I could do before - but that's okay because I'm still moving!) and continuing to spread the importance of health and fitness for one's heart.
I began walking when my heart was at its sickest, on the recommendation of my cardiologist, Dr. Heather Ross, who is the Division Head of Cardiology at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Site Lead of the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research at University Health Network. That's all she said I could do at that time. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it - so much that I began endurance walking 10km/day/6x/wk for 2.5 years!! It quickly became one of my favourite exercises. (I honestly didn't see that coming ;-) lol). (I'm unable to endurance walk that often now due to changes with my heart, but I persevere and do what I can!).
So in 2019 I created APGA. I wanted to bring more awareness to heart disease (showing that it can happen to anyone) and fundraise to help other heart patients like myself as well.
APGA is a 4 day, All-Abilities Adventure that occurs the last weekend of May every year. It unites the WORLD for 4 days in health & fitness and heart health awareness!
People are participating literally from all across the globe, for their hearts! It's amazing! It's 4 dedicated days of Health, Fun, Love, Family & Friendship doing what you physically can for your heart (& soul)! And also raising heart health awareness; our motto: 'Your life is worth 1 hour a day'; the importance of organ donation; and donating towards UHN for heart research and heart transplantation.
The goal during these 4 days (& lifetime), is to exercise for 1 HOUR/DAY (OR, Test Your Limits along with myself and exercise as long as you can each of the 4 days). Each APGA I test my limits safely by marathon walking on the treadmill (In 2019 I treadmill-walked 161km; 2020-180km; 2021-150km & 2022-101km). This year my goal is 100-120km.
THIS YEAR my Fitness Studio, ALL THE RIGHT MOVES will be open DURING APGA hosting a SPIN-A-THON And WALK-A-THON while I marathon-walk! I'm encouraging people to join me, or visit or Test Your Limits too. All the info is on the attached flyer! Please share away and join if you can! It's going to be spectacularly FUN!!
All donations go to the Test Your Limits Initiative at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre: “The funds raised will be for support of heart disease and heart failure research. 100% of your support will go directly towards making research in heart failure and transplantation possible."
APGA has created a public FACEBOOK group page: 'Annie’s Pace Global Adventure' which provides APGA updates and anyone can post words of encouragement for other worldwide participants along with APGA videos and pictures! I welcome YOU to join and share where you are participating from!
I hope to inspire and help you achieve the best version of yourself daily and choose courage over comfort and fear!
'Your life is worth 1 hour/day.' –Dr. Heather Ross.
Can you please help and make a donation today. My heart and all the other sick hearts out there thank you!
Smiles & Sunshine,
Annie
