Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a woman who was not a fan of gym class in high school, like many young girls. This woman had two beautiful children, but she became discouraged by her pregnancy-related weight gain, like many women in this situation.
With the support of her family and the help of her father, this woman started to run. Little by little, she ran longer distances, up until she ran in her first marathon. She qualified for the prestigious Boston Marathon and also completed the Défi 117 run.
This woman's name is Tania Rancourt, and she is originally from Sainte-Germaine-Boulé, a village in Abitibi West. She now runs in the winter and the summer. Tania Rancourt just achieved an extraordinary feat when she completed the Zion Ultra Marathon, a 100-mile, or 160-kilometre, race in the Utah desert, in 27 hours and 37 minutes, which ranks her among the top 10 women to run this prestigious international race.
I wanted to pay tribute to courageous, determined women like Tania Rancourt, who are a source of inspiration to many women, including me. Many congratulations.