A Cochrane woman who lost her struggle with mental health issues is being honoured by a friend travelling to Iceland this week to run a marathon in her memory and hopefully raise funds for and awareness of women's mental health.
Lindsey Sine died in May 2022 after a courageous battle with mental health issues while working to help others at a centre providing holistic care for mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. She was 38.
Sine worked at the Shifra Centre for Wellness in Cochrane as the office manager.
“She intensely poured love, dedication and generosity into clients and women of the community,” said Kailyn Metz, who is now preparing to run a marathon in Reykjavík, Iceland on Aug. 19.
Metz hopes people will be moved to donate to the Meira Memorial Fund, a non-profit created in honour of Sine.
“She worked diligently to ensure every person that walked through the doors of Shifra was appreciated and welcomed. She believed strongly in the power of community, especially a community of women,” Metz said.
Metz knew Sine as a friend, calling her a “really special person” who was willing to go above and beyond. When a woman came into the Shifra centre and for whatever reason couldn’t find the support she needed in Cochrane, Sine would go out of her way to make sure she could find that help elsewhere.
“She made it a project of the heart to make sure women seeking midwifery care got care,” Metz said.
“She was an advocate for women's health, she was an advocate for moms, she was such a kind person, and just went above and beyond for everybody she crossed paths with.”
Tragically, Metz said Sine started battling with her own mental health issues in October 2021 and lost that fight the following April.
“It was a shock to everybody,” Metz said.
She added that Sine had hoped to cultivate a safe and supportive community space where women could connect and find their ‘tribe’.
Metz was born and raised in Cochrane and now lives in Redwood Meadows. She can regularly be seen jogging along paths there, in Bragg Creek, and on Cochrane pathways, often pushing a stroller.
Metz has run a number of half-marathons, and said she’s “pretty good” at distance running. She was doing up to three runs a week (one long, two shorter), along with weight training, cycling, and mountain biking.
She said she loves competition, but is truthfully running to help spread the word on womens’ health.
Anyone interested in donating to the Meira Memorial Fund can find a link on the Shifra website: shifracentre.com or go directly to the Meira website.. The fund is administered through the Calgary Foundation.
The Reykjavík Marathon first took place in downtown Reykjavík in 1984 and has now been held 37 times.
The Meira Memorial Fund strives to create a safe and supportive space where women can access help outside of conventional treatment. Those who need it may receive financial assistance to access treatment that will support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
The vision at Shifra Centre for Wellness is to provide physical care to pre and post-natal women and families and to deliver woman-centered, evidence-based holistic care for mental, physical and spiritual wellness.
Shifra offers specialized individual care with skilled practitioners, enabling women to grow into mothers, and couples into parents.
