Prince Edward Island (Pop. 80) lies between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Though I have never been to that part of Canada I am sure it is as beautiful and welcoming as the rest of the country. It was here in this small rural town surrounded by beaches that Hylands Ambassador Paulette Dalton grew up.
"Everyone knew everyone," she says. which can be a blessing and a curse and in the same breath tells me her teen years brought out a bit of a rebel in her.
When you are at least 1 hour to a Tim Hortons and there are no Starbucks, well, lack of sweets and caffeine can do that to a teenager.
Though small and secluded, Prince Edward Island was a nice place to grow up, and even now years later, she enjoys the urban setting she has found in Toronto which she calls home now.
Paulette first started running in High School as a means to staying fit and to spend time with her dad who had just started running. Their evolution and love for this activity and each other brought them to the start line of their first 5k which quickly skyrocketed to triathlons and marathons. When you grow up in a small town, life moves a bit slower and patience is a virtue developed over time. This is a quality that Paulette has harnessed well. It took her and her father 10 tries to get into Boston......that is 10 long years of miles in preparation to bring you to a start line of a race you have to qualify for. Boston will entice and reward, tease and then tear dreams apart. It has to be earned and it takes patience, together they have been there and finished 10 times. To this day she tells me it is the one thing that brought them closer together than anything else. If there is one lesson her older brother instilled upon her it was to be kind. Always.
Those same qualities of patience and perseverance earned her a Nursing Degree and a spot on the Hylands Healer Team for Boston 2019 as an Ambassador. She has been showing compassion and care for her outpatients for 10 years and how lucky they must be.
10 seems to be her number......
As a young girl, she would leave on a run and just look at the clock on the wall, checking her time when she got back. There was not the luxury of Garmin watches yet or being able to record distance. It was simple. Just run. One of her favorite take-along now on a bike ride or run is her Apple earbuds…………Technology has come so very far in such a short time.
At the end of the day when her shoes are placed by the door, her bike put away and her swimsuit hung to dry (Yep, she does triathlons too) she finds comfort and quiet in a good book and her dog curled nearby.
She will pause and think of the best advice given to her. Be kind. Always.
Our conversation ends with me curiously asking what her perfect day is?
"Rise, yoga, run, cake treat, bike ride, dog walk, beer in the park, cupcakes and wine…."
NOW THAT IS A GREAT DAY PAULETTE!
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