Pictured: Coach Vincent Deschenes smiles poolside in Grand Cayman

Vincent Deschenes enjoyed seeing more of the world through the eyes of the students he helped train for the Healthy Horizons 2018 Destination Marathon.

Deschenes, a physical education teacher from Quaqtaq, QC, coached and then ran the half marathon with his two students, Stevie Kasudluak and Brian Annatok.

Deschenes explained that the boys are not used to getting out of their small community, since there is no route relaying all of the communities together.

“I could see through their faces, through their looks, they way they were looking at everyone around them, how amazed they were,” said Deschenes about students’ reaction to the tropical destination.

When beginning to train, the team started out with three kilometre runs, and Deschenes said the boys would have to stop 10 times. However, by the time race day came around, the efforts had paid off and the hard work allowed them to complete the 21 kilometre feat.

Deschenes said the event will open the boys’ minds.

“For them, achieving such a big challenge like completing a half marathon will put something in their head that if they put their effort into it, anything might be possible,” Deschenes explained.