Ontario Woman Defies Potentially Debilitating Spine Condition, Prepares to Run Her 50th Marathon

Robyn Michaud at the Tokyo Marathon on March 3, 2024. Michaud has run the world's major six marathons, earning her the Six Star Medal. Courtesy of Robyn Michaud

Robyn Michaud fulfilled a dream last March. Her ailing father, Jerry Michaud, was able to cheer her on as she crossed the finish line of the world’s six most famous marathons. He passed away six months later.

Robyn Michaud, 53, is a single mother living in Woodstock, Ont., and a professor of indigenous studies at Conestoga College. Her marathon journey began in 2012, when she was diagnosed with syringomyelia, a condition where a fluid-filled cyst forms within the spinal cord.

Her specialist advised her to stay active to avoid surgery, so she set her sights on marathon running.

“The physicality will only get you so far, it makes you mentally tough,”  Michaud told NTD News, The Epoch Times’ sister media.

Michaud says she was surprised to discover how supportive and welcoming the running community is.

“Everybody helping each other out, strangers holding signs for you, saying, ‘I’m proud of you, keep going!’” she said. “That is just the most amazing feeling.”

An international marathon championship in 2016 introduced the Six Star Medal, which is given to runners who complete the world’s six major marathons—those in Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Tokyo. Inspired by her father, who was battling a heart condition at the time, Michaud set out to run all six.

Robyn Michaud with her father, Jerry Michaud, before he died on Sept. 7, 2024. Courtesy of Robyn Michaud

“I really, really wanted him to see me do this,” Michaud said.

She completed the final of the six major marathons in Tokyo on March 3, 2024, earning the Six Star Medal. Her father died on Sept. 7 that year.

“At least he got to see me accomplish that,” she said.

Michaud has run 43 marathons over the last 13 years. She is now preparing for her 50th marathon—the Detroit Free Press Marathon, which is held annually on the third Sunday in October. The 42.195-kilometre international route starts in Detroit, Michigan, and ends in Windsor, Ont.

Robyn Michaud at the London Marathon on Apr. 23, 2023. Courtesy of Robyn Michaud

Beyond serving as a landmark in her running journey, Michaud said the Detroit route evokes a sense of home because her indigenous relatives immigrated to Ontario from Michigan. She identifies as Anishinaabe, an indigenous group that lives primarily in the Great Lakes area of Canada and the United States.

Michaud’s indigenous name, given to her during a ceremony, is Giiwedin anang ikwe, meaning “North Star woman.” She says it reminds her of her mission to set a good example and to guide people in her roles as a mother and teacher.

For Michaud, the key to achieving goals lies in having strong determination.

“Everybody’s goal is different, but everybody is capable of setting a goal and smashing that goal,” she said. “So just taking that first step is the most important part, and believing in yourself.”