Bryce Dymond and the "One Nation Run"

Bryce Dymond couldn't believe his eyes when he visited the Beren’s River First Nations' Reserve in February of 2009, when he saw kids wandering around late at night in below 35 degree Celsius weather because their parents were busy playing bingo. Some of these children, as young as seven years of age, weren't even wearing mittens. "When I went there, I heard about the family situations, high school systems, malnutrition and became very frustrated that these things were happening in Canada," he said. These troubling pictures made him want to help, and help in a big way. He wanted to raise funds, but he also wanted to raise awareness. Dymond sat down and picked the two things he is best at, speaking and running, and decided he is going to take Canada one step closer to eliminating child poverty with the One Nation Run.

Dymond, originally from Mississauga, Ont., is organizing a cross-Canada marathon in partnership with World Vision. It will begin May 1, 2011, and will last until Sept. 29, 2011. Dymond and his best friend Zaya Kuyena, who he considers a brother — along with anyone willing — will run from St. John’s, N.B., all the way to Vancouver, B.C. “The ONR is kind of like ‘Terry Fox meets the Olympic Torch relay’,” he said. The plan is for a combined 71 km to be run daily. Dymond will run 21 km a day, Kuyena will run 10 km a day, and the remaining 40 km is left for the public to run. This marathon is different from most other cross-country marathons because of its relay style. “People can join on the day that the relay is traveling through their region,” said Dymond. The only requirements are for the participants to sign a waiver and make a small donation to World Vision. His goal is to raise $2 per person. Mondays there will be no running, it is a day for the runners to rest, recuperate and prepare. There will also be a four-day break somewhere close to halfway through the marathon. When the runners reach Winnipeg, they will visit the First Nations community to connect with the youth on the reserve that inspired Dymond from the beginning.

It’s hard to pinpoint where it all started for Dymond, but there is one significant moment that stands out from the others. When he was seven-years-old, sitting on his mother’s lap, he found himself watching a movie called Cry Freedom. It’s a 1987 drama based in South Africa that reflects on the issues of discrimination, political corruption and the repercussions of violence. “I didn’t understand why they were killing black people,” he said. He was struck with a sense of confusion and frustration. He didn’t like the situation at all. In the midst of his confusion, he decided that he was going to figure out why this happened and make sense out of the whole thing. From this point on, he surrounded himself with black people, making friends with them, playing basketball, listening to hip-hop, etc. He started playing basketball at that same age. He was a shooting guard at Lorne Park Secondary School for the Mississauga Marauders and Monarchs from 1991 until 1996. As for hip-hop, he liked to listen to artists like KRS1 and Public Enemy, and even considers them to be some of his life influences. He described himself as an athletic and outgoing kid, but he definitely had a softer, more caring and curious side.

“Bryce and I, as very close cousins, got to grow up together playing a lot of sports, spending time with mutual friends and time with our close, loving and very supportive family,” said Clark Hughes, 32. Hughes considers himself lucky to have had a sports-oriented cousin to grow up with. More specifically, they loved playing baseball and basketball throughout their childhood. He’s not the only grateful one, though. “We don’t naturally have a lot in common but we make time for each other. We go for a walk and have a heart to heart. We eat a meal. And perhaps our most shared interest, we watch soccer,” said Luz Iglesias, a close friend of Dymond’s. She appreciates the fact that they can be such great friends, undeterred by their differences, and respects him as an individual: “Bryce is disciplined — about athletics, about his diet, about staying in touch with friends,” she said.

He began his education at Homelands Senior Public School, then Lorne Park Secondary School, and then chose to study African-American History, with a twentieth century focus, at the University of Western Ontario in London. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree. “When I first watched that movie [Cry Freedom], it made me gravitate towards studying culture that black people are a part of,” said Dymond. He knew what field he was going to enter throughout high school, having written a number of papers on African-American figures. He then took some classes in Theology at McMaster University. As Bryce grew up, he really had a knack for surrounding himself with extraordinary people. His relationship with his best friend, Zaya Kuyena, 25, is something so unique and unheard of in this generation. Despite living in different cities, they have volunteered together, they have worked together, they run together, and they have a never-ending compilation of road trips together. “We found in each other someone who was willing to be vulnerable and honest, but also open minded to what life and the world has to offer,” said Kuyena, a 25-year-old Toronto man. “My grandmother is his grandmother, my friends are his friends and my house is his house,” he added. He explained that he really envies Dymond’s ability to listen to someone, anyone, and really understand them. He also mentioned Dymond’s interests, including seeking better environmental policy, improving living infrastructure for First Nations people in Canada and concerns with alleviation of extreme global poverty.

After his studies, Dymond began working on community programs and did some counseling as a Pastor at his local church, Kingsway Baptist Church. He taught there for six years, and then three years at Lorne Park Baptist Church. The programs targeted people aged between 10 and 25 years old, but they concentrated mostly on high school students. “I loved helping students find out who they are, encourage them in what they’re gifted in,” explained Dymond. He changed paths to organize the run, but knows he will continue to be a leader and a teacher to those who need it, wherever this path takes him. The Church and Jesus are a huge part of his life, in every aspect. “I am amazed by how he lived,” he said. Tammy Thibodeau, another close friend of his who also works with youth, summed up her time with him through common activities: “we read, we pray, we try to love people like Jesus did, we try to love God like Jesus did, we cry, we fail, we suffer, we get up again, we keep going, we keep watching.”

There is a Jamaican saying that relates very closely to Dymond as a person: “show me your friends, and then I will know you.” Catherine Taylor, his girlfriend, found it very easy to let him into her life for that exact reason. Dymond used to drive from Mississauga to Ottawa to visit her before he had moved over to the capital city. On one particular occasion, he had reached out to a friend for help with a ride. This friend covered the costs for a car rental. This shows who Dymond is. “This alone speaks volumes about his trustworthiness, intelligence, integrity, and his big, giant heart. But to have a friend who would without thinking twice pay for a rental car for you, also reflects the heart of his friends, and it also speaks to the fact that Bryce really is that incredible,” said Taylor, 24.

Dymond’s life path has been impacted since the day he had watched Cry Freedom, but to this day, it is not the only movie to have changed him for the better. When he watched Without Limits, a 1998 biographical type of film based on the true story of Steve Prefontaine, he began to run. This hobby quickly turned into a routine, a practice. Running eventually became a big part of his life, especially when he completed the Boston Marathon, with a qualifying time of 3:08:35 (the limit is 3:11:00 for ages 35 and under). Dymond is similar to Prefontaine: although some people stick to the facts and believe there is a mathematical way to improve your running — such as Prefontaine’s coach Bill Bowerman — others will run as far as their hearts take them.

Today, at 32 years of age, Dymond feels he has acquired the skills and will power to organize something as huge as the One Nation Run. He may be new to Ottawa but he has settled in quickly, having already found the Rideau Canal as a great spot to run. “Children are not living glorious and free in our own country and all we can do as a collective group is sweep the problem under a carpet. I was disappointed,” he said. “They provide me with the inspiration I need everyday to train for the run when it is below 15 degrees Celsius,” he added. With the help of World Vision as a partner and the support of his family, friends, and runners across Canada, this marathon is going to be a big deal. In addition to raising awareness throughout the Canadian population, the funds will be funneled through World Vision to Canadian programs helping child poverty. For example, Christian Direction in Montreal, an organization motivated by God, aiming to reflect unity with diversity, with a mission to pursue the transformation of people. Dymond looks forward to Sept. 29, when he will cross the finish line in Vancouver, and be one step closer to a new beginning for children around Canada.