There’s no mountain that running buddies Karen Bond and Michelle Hyun can’t conquer. Michelle, 58, is a retired early childhood professor who suffers arthritis. Karen, 46, is a language teacher who suffered severe burns to her face and hands in a propane explosion 18 years ago.
“It was running that kept my sanity — first on the treadmill, then the road and then on (Vancouver’s) North Shore trails,” says Karen. “There aren’t many people that really get me when it comes to extreme adventure. She is one of them. We really get each other. We are on the same wavelength.” With long treks up mountain trails these women urge each other to higher ground. “As older runners, we inspire our friends to never give up, to keep on running, and to get even better with age,” says Karen.
