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Victoria fitness coach targets $100,000 for KidSport with burpee challenge

Group will raise funds doing 500 to 1,000 burpees each during Aug. 1 event in Oak Bay
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Baylea Wilkins and 50 friends will do 500 to 1,000 squats each during an Aug. 1 event in Oak Bay, to raise funds for KidSport Greater Victoria. (Photo courtesy of Baylea Wilkins)

Filling a void left by iconic fundraisers such as Jon Montgomery’s Pizza Pigout or the Thrifty Foods Kids Run might seem impossible, but one Victoria fitness trainer has a plan.

In an Oak Bay event Aug. 1, Baylea Wilkins and 50 friends, family and clients will do 500 to 1,000 burpees each to raise funds for KidSport Greater Victoria.

Wilkins is no newcomer to fundraisers – she believes in an individual’s responsibility to give back to the community. As a Lululemon ambassador the last two years, she understands the value of helping others make goals and dreams more achievable. She raised $15,000 around Christmas with a squats for charity initiative.

She trains her athletes once a week shooting for the fitness level required to achieve at least 500 burpees. Each also committed to raising $2,000 as Wilkins shoots for $100,000 for KidSport Greater Victoria.

A mom to three young boys who are active in sports, and a lifelong athlete herself, Wilkins said KidSport resonates with her values.

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“Some of the things you learn through sports and teams you just carry on in life. They’re super valuable. I feel like every kid should have the right to experience that,” she said.

The organization provides grants to help cover registration fees so kids 18 and younger in Greater Victoria can play a season of sport.

If the burpee crew hits the $100,000 target, that equates to about 350 kids funded.

KidSport Greater Victoria has helped more than 13,000 youth with more than $3 million in registration fees since its start, according to Jill Shaw, executive director.

“We’re seeing because of COVID there’s more need in local families than ever. With restrictions lifting kids are more than ready to get back into sport and families are stretched thin,” she said.

The number itself – 500 to 1,000 – is daunting but manageable, Wilkins said, and breaking it down over time can be key. But that discomfort hones in on the point of the endeavour.

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“A lot of us face very little adversity in our lives and I don’t think it’s a bad thing to make people uncomfortable for a few hours,” she said. “It probably is very uncomfortable to be a single mother who can’t afford to have her kids in sports.”

While some will do their workout virtually as they’re out of town, or out of province in some cases, the rest will gather at the Glenlyon Norfolk School junior campus on Beach Drive on Aug. 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. and anyone is invited to watch from a distance.

“People can come by and will have an opportunity to donate on the spot,” Wilkins added.

Donate online to Burpees for Charity at canadahelps.org/en/pages/burpees-for-charity-2.

Learn more about the charity at kidsportcanada.ca.

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Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

I'm dedicated to serving the community of Oak Bay as a senior journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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