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Nelson man selling songs to raise funds for injured friend

Nelson Daily Staff
By Nelson Daily Staff
July 7th, 2019

A Nelson area man is going the extra mile to help raise funds for a friend who was recently injured in a mountain bike accident near Valemount, BC.

Hayden Manwell is offering up to run the Mt. Robson Ultra Marathon, September 7th and selling songs to be heard on his playlist to be heard on the six-hour trek.

“I am an extremely average athlete,” Manwell explained on the GoFundMe campaign page.

“My goal is to finish . . .. That’s it,” Manwell adds. “But I need everyone’s help to carry me across the line.”

The challenge is for Manwell’s friend Chantelle Grafton, who experienced a pretty major spill and remains in neurological ICU ever since. 

“Her injuries are pretty serious, badly damaging three vertebrae and her spinal cord,” Manwell explained. “Thankfully her helmet did its job and Chantelle did not suffer any brain damage.”

“Generally, a person with this type of injury is expected to have no movement below the neck and are unable to breathe without the use of a ventilator,” Manwell adds.

“So far Chantelle has been able to swallow and trigger her own breathing, but we will not know the full outcome for many more weeks.”

Chantelle and Warren Grafton live in Edmonton but now must deal with Chantelle’s injuries which will most likely mean transferring to a rehabilitation centres in either Vancouver or Edmonton. 

“This will be a long hard road for the family, but Chantelle is one seriously determined badass,” Manwell said. “Her resilience is truly inspiring.”

Mt. Robson Ultra Marathon takes participants along trails beside the Robson River past Kinney Lake to flats where the river drains into the lake. Runners has an elevation gain of about 180 meters over the 10.55 kilometer distance to the turnaround point.

Manwell is urging the public to join with him by purchasing a song while he toils on the half marathon trail course.

“What I am doing is selling songs to go onto my playlist for the run,” Manwell explains. “(One hundred dollars) buys (donor) any song you want me to listen to during my 6 hour long endeavour.

“Good ones, bad ones it’s really up to you (Wu-tang, old school metal, or Katy Perry much appreciated).

Manwell said 100 songs at an average of 3.5 mins per song equals about six hours, which is the estimated finish time and $10,000 goal for the Graftons.  

Manwill said all money raised will be pooled into a Registered Disability Savings Plan.

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