Abi used to hate running. In fact, she’d go as far as to say loathe. When she was a kid, she used to hide behind trees to get out of it. Or pretend she’d just been sick. She had a letter that she sent to her Godmother when she was 9, proudly writing to tell her she was last (out of the whole school), in the annual XC. She was seemingly quite proud of her DFL status in 1989.

Fast-forward 17 years, and after making it through High School, Uni and three years in London, she moved to Fernie, BC. While she moved here for one winter to ski, she discovered a whole lot more. The vibe, people, great outdoors and ah-mazing trails changed her life. She wondered if she’d have found running, if Fernie and all its boundless adventure weren’t offered to her on a plate. 

In 2012, Abi ran her first Sinister 7. She undoubtedly owed her running career to this one race – the people involved, the life-changing experience, and the bug that she caught. At the time, she was utterly terrified (she got up to nervous pee seven times the night before and didn’t sleep a wink), she was convinced she was going to get mauled by a bear and/or cougar. From being the least competitive kid on the planet, and totally out of her depth in an entirely new sport, in the last 10km to go, she was told she had one person ahead of her. She didn’t know what happened to her over the following hour or so, although she’d since learned it’s called “dropping the hammer”. It was her first hammer, and she dropped it hard, making up a 10-minute deficit and a 10-minute lead. She would never forget this finish line, the shocked faces that greeted her and the inner strength she felt. It was like nothing she’d felt before. And she sure as hell wanted to feel it again.

In 2016, Abi was able to balance her day job at Fernie Brewing Co. with the creation of her side hustle, Stag Leap Running Co. Along with her husband, Mike, and two pups, Jack and Lita, she set up Fernie’s trail running resource with the goal of encouraging more runners to take the first step into trail running, racing, and ultimately, ultras. They started the Elk Valley Ultra and the Lone Wolf Backyard Ultra, and hosted weekly run clubs for various abilities. 

In July 2024, Abi tragically passed away due to a motor vehicle accident. Her loss was felt by friends and family across the world and continues to be felt by those who were close to her (which in Fernie, is almost everyone). She is dearly missed but always in our hearts - especially at Stag Leap. The community that she built invites everyone to enjoy what Fernie has to offer and to feel free, peaceful, and exhausted (her words) on our trails.