Spafford Health and Adventure

DERRICK SPAFFORD - Owner/Head Coach

Derrick Spafford has over 40 years of competitive running and coaching experience. He has competed in hundreds of races in distances from 800 meters to 100 miles; from track to ultramarathons. While he enjoys competing in a variety of different events, his current favourite races include trail, mountain, ultra and snowshoe running races.

Derrick founded Spafford Health and Adventure in 2008.

CREDENTIALS

Graduate of Loyalist College – Recreation and Leisure Services Program (including coaching and personal training certifications)
35+ years of Coaching and Personal Training Experience
Managed and Instructed over 50 clinics for Beginning and Intermediate Runners
Over 20 years Special Event Management and Organization
Helped hundreds of runners meet their personal dream goals
Running coach for Impossible2Possible Youth Expeditions

SELECTED RUNNING/RACE/EXPEDITION HIGHLIGHTS:

2021 Thirty One Year Running Streak of running every day since 1989.
2018 Akshayuk Pass Traverse of Baffin Island (with Ray Zahab)
2015 Impossible2Possible Greece Expedition
2015 Whiteface Mountain Vertical KM
2014 Yarker to Sharbot Lake 13 Lake Route 84km Winter Run (Unsupported)
2014 Wakely Dam Ultra 55km – unsupported trail run
2013 Yukon Arctic Ultra 100 mile (Whitehorse, Yukon) – 7th overall
2013 Impossible2Possible Peru Expedition
2013 Beachburg Spring Chicken 50km – 1st overall
2013 Wakely Dam Ultra 55km – 13th overall
2012 Dirty Girls 12 hour night race (Mansfield, ON) – 1st overall (Course Record)
2012 Yukon Arctic Ultra 100 mile (Whitehorse, Yukon) – 2nd overall
2011 GORE-TEX TransRockies Run (Buena Vista, CO) – 6th Co-ed Masters Team
2011 Seaton Trail Run 52km (Pickering, ON) – 1rst overall
2009 Haliburton 100 mile (Haliburton, ON) – 2nd overall (2nd fastest time ever run on current Haliburton course of 17:52)
2009 Finger Lakes 50 mile (Ithaca, NY) – 1rst overall
2008 Haliburton 100 mile (Haliburton, ON) – 1rst overall
2008 Rock and Ice K-Rock Ultra 135km (Yellowknife, NWT) – 2nd overall
2003 Ontario Shore Marathon – 2nd overall

TEAM/PARTNERS:

Team Dion Snowshoes Canada
Xact Nutrition Ambassador
Suunto Ambassador
Julbo Sunglasses Ambassador

MICHELLE LEDUC - Associate Coach

Michelle has been running for over 25 years and competing in ultra-distances since 2011. She has raced 100 Milers on a variety of terrains - road, trails, mountains and even on a 400 m track. In 2020, she was introduced to Fastest Known Times (FKT). Now her training focuses on adventures where she can put on a pair of sneakers and carry all her supplies in her pack and go for a nice long solo run.

Michelle lives in Russell, ON (outside Ottawa). She is very active in the running community - coaching youth with the Russell Run Club since 2014. She also offers programs for children, running/walking clinics, track workouts and group runs. Michelle is the Race Director for the Russell Run and Event Coordinator for the New York Central Fitness Trail parkrun.

Michelle has worked with a coach for many years and values their guidance, support, and accountability. She has learnt that an athlete must get to the start line mentally and physically healthy – not injured or burnt out. She believes communication is important in creating a training plan that balances the athletes personal/work life and allows them to be consistent in their training.

CREDENTIALS:

UESCA Certified Running Coach and Ultrarunning Coach
Sports Coach – In Training, National Coaching Certification Program
Registered Massage Therapist

SELECTED RUNNING & RACE HIGHLIGHTS:

2020 FKT Prescott Russell Recreational Trail 98km, unsupported
2020 FKT Cataraqui Trail 104 km, unsupported
2020 FKT K&P Trail, Renfrew to Kingston 177 km, supported.
2018 Old Dominion 100 M, Virginia – 1st Place Female
2017 Desert Solstice Track Invitational 100 M, Phoenix AZ, 15:19:38 (Canadian record at the time)
2017 Haliburton 100 M – 1st Place Female
2016 Pistol Ultra 100 M, Alcoa, TN 100 M – 1st Place Overall Tie
2016 Eastern States 100 M, Pennsylvania – 1st Place Female
2016 Cruel Jewel 100 M, Georgia – 1st Place Female
2015 Sulphur Springs 100 M – 1st Place Female, 2nd Overall
2014 Canadian Death Race 125 KM, Grande Cache, AB

LISA LESKIEN - Associate Coach

Lisa Leskien has competed at a high level in trail, ultra and snowshoe running. Highlights have included a bronze medal at the 2018 North American Snowshoe Championships, a 10th place finish at the 2017 World Snowshoe Championships (helping Team Canada take the silver medal in the team competition), and competing for Team Canada at the 100k IAU World Championships in 2015 and 2009. Lisa has won the women’s title in the Dion Ontario Snowshoe Running series in 2017, 2018, and 2020.

Lisa loves to share her enthusiasm for running with athletes of all ages and abilities. She has coached a wide range of runners from youth track and cross country programs to individual adult runners. She has also volunteered as a Guide runner for student Para athletes at W. Ross MacDonald School in Brantford, Ontario

Lisa’s experiences as a competitive runner throughout pregnancy, post-childbirth, and now as a busy mom helps her tailor training plans to suit runners as they train through life’s milestones. She is positive, supportive and focuses on keeping training enjoyable, motivating her athletes to achieve their goals.

CREDENTIALS:

UESCA Certified Ultrarunning Coach
Over 15 years of coaching youth Cross Country, Track and Field, and various Kids Running and Reading Programs, and Recess run clubs.

SELECTED RACE HIGHLIGHTS:

2020, 2018, 2017 – Dion Ontario Snowshoe Series Female winner
2018, 2017, 2002 – Run for the Toad 25k Trail race 1st overall female
2018 North American Snowshoe Championships Female bronze medalist
2017, 2005, 2003 – Ontario 25k Trail Series Female champion
2018, 2017 – Dion Ontario Snowshoe Series Female winner
2017 World Snowshoe Championships – 10th overall, women’s team silver medal as a member of Team Canada
2015, 2009 Member of the Canadian 100k Ultra Running Team that competed in the IAU World 100k Championships in Belgium 2009, and The Netherlands 2015 –top Canadian woman both years
2009 Member of the Canadian 100k Ultra Running team for the Commonwealth Ultra Distance Championships in Keswick UK. Top Canadian Female – 6th place, Bronze medal for the Canadian Women’s team
2008 – 12 hour National champion, Dirty Girls trail race (course record)
2003 – Member of the OUA bronze medal winning 4x800m relay team – York University
2003 – Distance Team Captain – York University Track and Field Team