www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, April 17, 2013 | 8 Oakville chiropractor recalls horror at Boston Marathon I normally write my post Boston Marathon article with what I learned about life and the metaphors it teaches me physically, mentally, and spiritually. As you undoubtedly have heard, this one has taught me much deeper lessons about life. This was my ninth straight Boston Marathon and it has always been a privilege to race with the top runners in the world. My race itself was going great -- perfect 12C weather (compared to last year's 31C scorcher), my wife and friends were here with me. After I finished in 3:02 (1:05pm EST), I looked up at my wife who was looking out our fourth floor window of the Charlesmark Hotel where we have stayed for the past five years. It has the best view of the finish line on Boylston Street, and I have always put a huge Canada flag outside our window to show our patriotism. I was in our room at 2:50 p.m. when the first bomb blew up. It sounded like a cannon, I initially thought it was fireworks, but it sounded much deeper and it shook the entire building. Our room is only 20m from the site of the first explosion and I went to the window and saw lots of smoke and people screaming. My wife came in and said, `It's a bomb!' My friend yelled `There's blood and body parts everywhere!' Twelve seconds later, the second bomb went off. We didn't know if there were more bombs or if our shaken room would stay standing. We hurriedly threw shoes on and ran down the hallway and banged as hard as I could on everyone's door on our floor yelling to warn them, yelling `It's a bomb!'. We ran down the back stairway into the back alley and ran as far as we could away from the blast. We didn't know if there were more bombs or what was going on but just kept running, or as fast as I could have considering I just finished a marathon. We ran all the way to the Charles River, with little clothing and stayed in as open an area as possible. We started walking (ended up walking10k) and saw thousands walking across the bridges from Boston to Cambridge. It was surreal. Having no money, passports, any ID, or jackets we went to a restaurant and hung out while listening to the news. Thankfully, a generous stranger who knows one of my colleagues let us stay at his house last night only one mile from the blast site and another lady lent us her hotel room for a few hours today. Thank you Gordon and Lisa (both Canadians). As of this moment, we are still waiting to be let back to our hotel to get our things. As my wife had a view no one else had and took photos of the finish line, we may have to go leave witness testimony with the FBI, and see when we can come home. Flights have been grounded at the airport. This whole ordeal feels like it is from a war movie. As I write this there are SWAT teams, National Guardsmen with machine guns everywhere, bomb sniffing dogs, and crime scene tape right within my view. I ran right through the bombed area 1.5 hours earlier. My wife walked right through that spot that morning. I walked that sidewalk the day before. I have regularly been in the Marathon Sports Store whose windows were blown out. A fellow runner left our room after the race and turned left instead of right leaving our hotel. The bomb went off to the right one minute later. I can't help but think `What if?' I feel nauseous when I see the scenes of the explosions and see my room with the Canada flag outside our window in the news. But in the end, I know that God has my salvation and I have to live my life without fear. If there's one thing I will remember from this tragedy, it will be the generosity of people who helped us in times of need. That is what I always saw my role as a doctor of chiropractic, but with everything I went through this year with my near death experiences at the New York City Ironman and now at the Boston Marathon, I am so appreciative of other's gifts and the love God has put in their hearts to help others. It is a lesson we can all learn from this tragedy. My prayers go out to the eight-year-old child who died and his family (I have a nine and 11 year old) and to the others who have lost loved ones or have injured family members. It reminds me to hug my kids longer, tell more people that I love them, and to not worry about the unimportant things in life. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can drive out darkness. May God's light shine on this terrible tragedy. Dr. Freddie So, Chiropractic First Natural Health Group, Oakville www.oakville.ca Oakville April 19, 2 p.m. Take 20 minutes at 2 p.m. and pick up litter around your ur school or business. Register at oakville.ca to get your free bags and gloves. April 20, 911 a.m. Earth Week Clean Up Do your part for Earth Week to keep Oakville beautiful and pick up litter around your school, business or neighbourhood. Organized by the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights Get your friends and family together and clean up around your neighbourhood. Visit www.oakvillepeacecentre.org to find an organized nature clean-up site. For more information call 905-849-5501. May 2 Outdoor activities at all Youth Centres from 5-7 p.m. May 3 Discover the Ridge at Iroquois Ridge Community Centre (IRCC) from 7-10 p.m. Bronte Youth Centre special Youth Week event (all ages) from 3-11 p.m. May 4 Open Mic Night from 7-10 p.m. at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre's (QEPCCC) Black Box Theatre (for ages 16-19) Dance from 7-10 p.m. in QEPCCC Youth Centre (for grades 6-10) May 5 Youth Marketplace and BBQ from 1-4 p.m. in QEPCCC Youth Centre (show off your hobbies, talents and teach others. Open to everyone!) May 6 After-school skateboarding at IRCC and Shell Park from 4-6 p.m. May 7 End of Youth Week Wrap Up Party at all Youth Centres from 4-8 p.m. Don't forget your passport! How to win a free iPad! Your passport to awesome! Pick up your Youth Week Passport at any Youth Centre in Oakville. Collect a minimum of five stamps on your passport by attending our Youth Week events for your chance to win! Please see passport for full draw conditions. Connect with us! Bronte Youth Centre: 2296 Lakeshore Road West 905-582-3592 Oakville Youth Centre: 177 Cross Avenue, Unit 3 (across from the Oakville GO Station) 905-845-6932 QEPCCC Youth Centre: 2302 Bridge Road 905-815-5979, ext. 4681 Check out our free events to celebrate Youth Week! May 1 Open House at all Youth Centres from 6-8 p.m. (Learn more about what our Youth Centres have to offer! Parents welcome)