Giordano Corlazzoli: Running for Coastal Carnivores

Hello there!

My name is Giordano, but most people know me as Gio. This summer I am embarking on a rather ambitious journey that entails running the length of Vancouver Island from Port Hardy to Victoria to raise funds for the Safeguard Coastal Carnivores campaign started by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. I will get into more details about my run shortly, but first, a little bit about myself and the motivation behind this trip.

I was born and raised on the Island, growing up in the small town of Ucluelet located on the West Coast. I am currently studying kinesiology at University of Victoria, and will be graduating with my four-year degree this June. I love learning about the human body and how it works, and am planning to pursue a career in medicine or an allied medical profession such as physiotherapy because of that. In addition to my passion for learning, I have a love for running and exploring the outdoors. Growing up on the West Coast allowed me to experience the beauty of nature and learn to appreciate just how valuable it is.

One thing most people who know me well would tell you is that I have an insatiable desire to push the boundaries of my potential. This desire is what ultimately led me to make the decision to attempt a challenge more difficult than I have ever attempted before.

The planned route for my run takes me over 500 kilometers from Port Hardy to Victoria, traveling along the Old Island Highway when possible. I will be running about a marathon’s distance a day, with the actual daily distance varying from as little as 32 km, to as much as 52 km.

I have spent much of my lifetime outdoors, and therefore can appreciate the vital role nature and wildlife plays in our world. While attending an event in Victoria hosted by Raincoast Conservation Foundation, I was inspired by the passion and intent of Raincoast in their quest to purchase the remaining commercial hunting tenures in the Great Bear Rainforest in order to end trophy hunting of large carnivores throughout that vast coastal region. Like many others, I believe that trophy hunting of carnivores is unethical and morally wrong. To kill these intelligent, beautiful animals for recreation is something that I am passionate about putting an end to for good.

My hope with this run is to inspire others with my passion for running, motivating people to take action themselves and contribute in any way possible to this amazing campaign.

Visit Gio’s page: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/raincoast-conservation-foundation/p2p/nadeea/page/running-for-coastal-carnivores/

You can help

Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.

We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.