The 100-kilometer walk between Arnprior and Petawawa for 17-year-old Ruby Pilatzke has come to an end, but donations can still be made to support her campaign and help raise money for Type 1 diabetes research.

Ruby says the first 70-km was good and the last 30-km was by far the hardest.

She started the walk Friday afternoon (August 6th, 2021) at the Antrim Truck Stop in Arnprior and finished the following day (August 7th, 2021) at the Civic Centre in Petawawa.

When walking in Arnprior she was given berries from someone at a local produce stand, people were meeting her at the end of their driveways with donations and she even got waves from someone on a lawnmower.

Ruby walked through the night taking the backroads and staying off Highway 17.

She says when it got dark, members from the Horton Fire Department provided her an escort which made them feel more safe.

Ruby stopped every 10-km for a rest, to grab a snack and put ice on her feet.

She says the first 500-meters after the rests were painful, but adds the breaks were much needed.

With 30-km left to go in her walk, Ruby started getting blisters on her feet and was rained on.

The local teenager says she was walking weird to protect her feet and wanted to quit, but at that point she was already in Pembroke.

All the community support, not being alone and her determination helped Ruby make it to the finish line.

The 17-year-old from Petawawa, who is a Type 1 diabetic, says having diabetes isn’t easy and she wanted to prove she can do things that are hard.

Ruby says the Petawawa Fire Department provided an escort when she got into town and adds she was really emotional when crossing the finish line.

A couple days after the walk, Ruby says she is nowhere near as sore as she thought she would be.

The local teenager says her knees and legs hurt and feet are still blistered, but adds overall it’s not bad.

Ruby set out with a goal to raise $10,000 and has more than doubled that amount.

Three days after her 100-km walk, Ruby has raised over $23,500.

You can still donate to support Ruby as she raises money for Type 1 diabetes research online here. 

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17-year-old Ruby Pilatzke walking from Arnprior to Petawawa on Friday for diabetes research

Local teen walking 100km from Arnprior to Petawawa for diabetes research