I was born in Toronto and raised in Kapuskasing, Ontario. My story of being a marathon runner all began on New Year day in 1996. I was at my parent’s house when I overheard my sisters make a New Year resolution that they were going to run their first marathon that year.

At that time I was an overweight smoker who could barely walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air. I joined my sisters in their resolution and started training to run a marathon.

It was very hard at the beginning. I was doing a lot of walking while my sisters were running. Despite all the challenges, 10 months later we fulfilled the resolution. Also, in the process I lost 24 pounds!

In the past 10 years of running I’ve done over 50 marathons and ultra marathons (over 42.2 km). I've lost and kept off over 50 pounds!

Through my journey of quitting smoking, losing weight and learning to run marathons, I realized how important it is to lead a healthy lifestyle. I couldn’t agree more with Yee Hong on a holistic philosophy of wellness that encompasses the physical, emotional, intellectual and social aspects.

I am honoured to be invited by Yee Hong to promote and support wellness for seniors and the community through the Marathons for Wellness campaign. Please join me in raising funds for the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care. This is an excellent opportunity to help take the community on the path of wellness!

Please visit power2cure.com to find out more about Richard Takata.

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