'She's unbelievable': Cape Breton woman prepares to run marathon two years after breaking hip
A Membertou First Nation woman is set to run a major marathon two years after breaking her hip.
Candice Paul, 44, was training for what would have been her first attempt at the distance when she suffered an injury that typically happens to much older people.
As part of her training, Paul took part in the Louisbourg Race Through Time - an eight mile race - in August 2019.
During the run, Paul injured herself. However, with determination, she continued to walk the final eight kilometres and finished the race.
Later, she found out how serious her injury was.
"I still find it a little surreal to say I actually broke my hip," said Paul. "Sure enough, it was fractured and the fracture had displaced, like an inch."
Doctors performed emergency surgery, putting a plate and three screws in her hip.
During her three-month recovery, Paul says she was eager to get out and run again.
This past Boxing Day, she laced up her sneakers and began chasing her goal once again.
"Because running means everything to me," said Paul.
Paul's training partner, Allison Melski, says she is an inspiration to many.
"She keeps us going. She pushes us. If she can do it - she broke her hip and kept going - we can do anything," said Melski. "That girl gets up in every weather, every day, no matter what it is, and runs. She's unbelievable. She inspires our entire group constantly."
Paul was inspired to start her running journey thanks to a challenge from her daughter.
"It was the Membertou Summer Games, she had won a couple of medals, I asked her to share them and she wouldn't," said Paul. "She said, 'Get your own.' I'm not into sports. I can't do sports. So, I looked at everything there was and the only thing I could do was a 5K. So, I started running."
As she runs a virtual race this weekend, Paul says she will have one thing in mind as she completes her journey from broken hip to full marathoner.
"Freddy," Paul laughed. "Because I am going to be training for Freddy after this."
The Fredericton Marathon is a 42.2 kilometre race in the spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.