THE DR. JOHN P. WILLIAMS AWARD

Presented in memory of Dr. John P. Williams to the Tely 10 participant who has inspired others through enthusiastic and spirited participation in the annual Telegram 10 Mile Road Race.

Citations for Recipients

(2011) Recipient: Mark Chancey
Citation

Mark tipped the scales at 351 pounds on his 31st birthday and decided it was time for a change, so he took action, started to watch his diet and get regular exercise. As with many Tely 10 participants, his exercise of choice was running. Mark slowly made his way to a point when he was confident in his running ability to set a goal for himself to run the Tely 10. Applying discipline and plain old hard work Mark met this goal... when he ran the Tely 10 for the first time in 2005. Today Mark has just finished his 7th Tely 10! Over the course of these past 7 years, with much tenacity, running has helped Mark lose more than 150 lbs!

Once Mark caught the running bug, he decided to extend an invitation to his coworkers to join him. Little did he know 14 of his co-workers would take him up on the offer. In January 2007, the "Tenacity To Finish" (T2F) running club started, with 15 Metrobus employees committing to walk for exercise at lunch time. Mark soon designed a program which would allow his colleagues to run for 20 continuous minutes, an accomplishment many thought was simply not possible. With Mark’s dedication and initiative inspiring their efforts, many of his colleagues have since met and exceeded their own personal goals.

Mark has always encouraged the group to set future goals and to maintain their training commitment. As well, he has inspired club members to volunteer and man water stations at various road races such as the "Cape to Cabot" and the "Not So Hilly Half Marathon".

Mark developed a website (www.tenacitytofinish.com) for the benefit of theT2F Running Club. He also sends daily updates and newsflashes via email to all members of the club. The talk around the water cooler and in the lunchroom always focused on the activities of the T2F running club to the point where another 6 employees decided they would join the club. Through 2007, Mark led the group to various running events including 5k & 10k events. A highlight in 2007 saw 14 members of the club crossing the Tely 10 road race finish line.

The T2F has now expanded outside of its Metrobus origins. Numerous team members have gone on to participate in many 5k and 10k events provincially and beyond, including the Halifax half marathon in 2008. Not stopping there, 11 members completed the Toronto 2009 Scotiabank Marathon. While participating in these events the group have continued their original commitment to participate in the Tely 10 annually

For his initiative and dedication to the T2F Running Club, Mark is recognized this year.

This award is particularly significant to the Chancey family. Mark’s dad, Ralph Chancey, won this award in 2007. The Tely 10 is a family affair for the Chancey clan... the first Chancey to participate in the Tely 10 was Mark’s grandfather, Gordon, who crossed the finish line for the first time in 1934!

To be eligible for this award, the candidate:

must have participated in the Tely 10 road race at least once
must have specifically motivated others to participate in the Tely 10, either by walking or running or as a wheelchair participant
must by participation in the Tely 10 have inspired and motivated others to become physically active

The candidate may be someone who:

began regular exercise at an advanced age
overcame a serious emotional or physical challenge in life
or began exercising while recovering from a serious or life-threatening illness

Submission deadline

Nominations must be sent to Patricia Williams by Monday, June 10, 2024.
Please send the nomination via email in Microsoft Word format or Portable Document Format (PDF). Please ensure that the following information is submitted along with the nomination:
1. Nominee
  - Name
  - Address
  - City/Town
  - Province & Postal Code
  - Telephone
2. Nominator
  - Name
  - Address
  - City/Town
  - Province & Postal Code
  - Telephone
  - E-mail
3. Reason for the nomination
4. Date & Signature of Nominator

Nominations