The day after his 48th birthday, you’ll be able to find Davis Bay’s Brian Dean Williams marking each year of his life by the kilometre.
After years of spending his weekends meditating, then running and biking in a single day, Williams decided to start his own event – named the Briathlon after the birthday boy himself – to mark his 48 years on the planet with 48 kilometres and an ocean dip. While he’s completed different races across North America and gone on a running trip to Hawaii, the registered clinical counsellor has only organized arts and culture events. This will be his first time organizing a fitness event, but he doesn’t consider it a competition.
“I thought, why not host a virtual charity adventure race, for a good cause?” Williams said.
He has two goals: to inspire people to take care of their mental and physical health during the pandemic, and to raise money for others.
The triathlon of sorts is set to start on Saturday, March 20. Since the event will be virtual, anyone can join and there’s no set track.
The funds raised by registration fees and donations are going to Peak House, an organization that offers support to youth from across B.C. in their recovery from substance use issues.
Williams hopes to raise $5,000 and has at least 20 people registered to race so far. He said a few participants are on the Sunshine Coast, and others are located across B.C. and in Ontario.
‘Challenge ourselves’
To make the event more inclusive to any who may be daunted by the 48-km goal, Williams has opened it up so racers can set their own challenges. That may be in the form of a relay, changing the distance to 4.8 km or choosing a different variety of activities.
“The spirit of it really is just for each of us to challenge ourselves, to test our limits a little bit. And in doing that, hopefully there can be some growth, mentally and physically, that can help us to get through the next few weeks and months of the pandemic,” Williams said.
As for Williams, he will start the race by leading a guided mindfulness meditation at 8:30 a.m. By 9 a.m., he’ll be biking from Davis Bay to West Sechelt for the first 24-km loop, followed by another 24-km loop between Davis Bay and Roberts Creek by foot. He’ll end the challenge with a “jump off Davis Bay pier to cap it off and cool off after all that.”
If all goes well, Williams is open to organizing an in-person version of the Briathlon next year. Find more information at briandeanwilliams.com.
