By Jim Brown
jim@peicanada.com

Carol Evans has had more laid-back birthdays.

How many Islanders would even think of walking close to 40 km on their 60th birthday? How about walking along the Confederation Trail from one tip of the Island to the other, for eight days straight?

Ms Evans finished the gruelling journey she started in Elmira Aug. 25 on Wednesday at 3:30 pm at the Bicentennial Park, in Tignish.

At the barrier gate, marking the end of her “Hike for Health” campaign to raise funds for a new echocardiogram machine for Prince County Hospital, all she could say was, “We did it,” followed by, “I’m not doing this again.”

Well-wishers cheered Ms Evans to the finish, offering hugs and “Happy Birthday” greetings. Several were friends and family members who had accompanied her for varying stretches of her journey.

A young girl placed a paper crown atop Ms Evan’s hair and Janine Gagne, 15, presented her with a fresh bouquet of flowers. Ms Gagne was the daughter of Karin Gagne, from Burlington, one of three other participants who accompanied Ms Evans for the complete 291 km hike. The others were Noella Gaudet, from Kensington, and Vernon Buote, from Rustico. 

Ms Evans was everyone’s Queen of the Confederation Trail, including PEI Treasurer Wes Sheridan, who presented her and the three others who accompanied her for the full walk with certificates of appreciation, as well as a written message from Premier Robert Ghiz.

“This has just been an inspiration to all Islanders watching these four walk across PEI,” said Minister Sheridan, who also praised other family members and friends for their steadfast support.

“This is just wonderful. We can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done.”

What was the toughest part of Ms Evans’ journey, which raised more than $20,000, and still counting, for the echocardiogram machine?

“The mosquitoes. We were attacked. They came and (the air) was black with them. We couldn’t get them off us. We sprayed as much as we could, but there was no way to get them off.”
The toughest day? Day 7, on Tuesday.

“I was really drained...it was hard keeping my motivation.”

One of the few luxuries Ms Evans enjoyed along the trail came at the end when a friend massaged her aching feet.

“It (foot) started to cramp up in the last 20 kms, it was nice to get that massage,” said Ms Evans.

The foot, bearing a long, winding scar, had been injured many years before.

When she crossed the finish line she was joined by close to two dozen other walkers, several carrying banners.

Ms Evans and her team left two hours earlier in the day, at 6 am, from Bloomfield, to reduce their exposure to temperatures reaching 34 C by mid-afternoon. 

She said having friends and family members along the trail gave everyone a welcome boost of energy.

Her day wasn’t finished with the official end of her walk. Ms Evans and her supporters were feted by the Village of Tignish, with a community barbecue and music arranged in their honour.

Ms Evans says a more accurate account of their group’s fundraising efforts will be available next week. The $20,000 total will certainly be improved upon. 

“There were some very generous people (along the Trail),” she said.

She went on to say that she and her team members would often leave homes where they were billetted with cheques thrust into their hands.

Sometimes it was almost impossible to maintain a rhythm because people would walk up to the group to give them cash.

She mentioned one woman, in Elmsdale, who heard she was visiting her area on a radio newscast and was determined to find her and give her $20.

“Yes, there were a lot of people who would give twenties and there was a couple from Montreal who heard us on the radio in Brackley and they stopped and gave us $60.”

Ms Evans is through with endurance hikes, but not, it appears, with extreme sports.

“I would like to take up sky-diving,” she said.