Maryam McKenzie

366,445 steps. A little over $400 raised. One very humbled, slightly dehydrated woman.

Alright. Full transparency. I didn’t hit 400,000.

I closed the month at 366,445 steps and just over $400 raised for SickKids.

And I was so close to making a dramatic, end-of-month victory lap. I had mapped it out. I was doing step math in my head during showers. I knew exactly how many more episodes on the walking pad it would take.

And then the universe said, “Cute” and I got food poisoning! In the final week…At my menopausal age!! Which, let me tell you, is not the time for plot twists.

Two full days off my feet. The walking pad just sitting there like a disappointed coach. I tried to rally and I couldn’t. I hydrated. I survived. That was the win.

So no, I didn’t reach the 400K goal. But I gave it everything I had.

This was never really about a perfect number anyway. It was about showing up consistently. It was about doing something slightly uncomfortable in support of kids and families facing things that are infinitely harder than a derailed step count.

The money raised is still going exactly where it’s meant to…to the teams at SickKids who fight battles every single day that make my February challenge look very small. The kids they care for don’t get to tap out for two days. Their families don’t get to reschedule hard things. That perspective matters.

And what I’m walking away with (slower than planned, but still walking) is gratitude.

To every single person who donated, THANK YOU!!

To everyone who sent encouragement, checked in, or teased me about my “corporate hamster wheel era”, THANK YOU.

You made this meaningful. You made it bigger than a number on my watch.

366,445 steps. A little over $400 raised. One very humbled, slightly dehydrated woman.

Absolutely worth it!!

Eight days to go... EIGHT!

Okay. So. This escalated quickly.

I’m sitting just shy of 250,000 steps.

When I first wrote about hitting 100,000, that felt like a big deal. A milestone. A “look at me being disciplined in February” moment. And now somehow I’m closing in on a quarter of a million steps and staring down the last 150,000 with eight days left.

Eight. Days.

At this point, the walking pad and I have history. We’ve locked eyes during long meetings. We’ve processed emails together. We’ve had minor disagreements about pace. I have confidently created documents while quietly accumulating steps under my desk like some kind of corporate hamster. It’s a vibe.

February, for the record, is still aggressively February. The sun continues to play hard to get. My dreamy “crisp winter walks” turned into “power pacing in my house while reheating coffee for the third time.” But here we are.

And honestly? The only reason I’m this far is because of you.

The messages. The donations. The random “are you still walking?” texts that feel both supportive and mildly threatening. The friends who remind me that yes, I chose 400,000 as the goal. Voluntarily.

Every step is for SickKids, and that part keeps this grounded. While I’m counting steps and negotiating with my calves, the teams there are doing work that actually changes lives. Real impact. Real stakes. Real families. If my slightly unhinged indoor pacing helps support that in even a small way, it’s worth it.

I’m tired. I’m committed. I’m deeply aware of my step count at all times.

But I’m also incredibly grateful.

Thank you for cheering me on. Thank you for donating. Thank you for making this feel bigger than just me and a walking pad in the middle of winter.

Eight days. 150,000 steps to go.

Let’s do this.

100,000 Steps In: Walking, Winning, Still Extremely February

I am officially 100,000 steps into my 400,000-step commitment for SickKids. One quarter done. A solid milestone. Proof that persistence and a walking pad can get you very far.

Because it’s February, it’s offensively cold, and the sun has fully opted out. While I had visions of crisp winter walks and fresh air, reality said nope and so most of these steps have been logged indoors, pacing confidently in my own home on a walking pad.

If you’ve never walked thousands of steps while answering emails, listening to podcasts, and questioning your life choices all at once, I highly recommend it. It turns out you can be productive, committed and mildly unhinged at the same time.

These first 100,000 steps didn’t happen by accident. They happened one slow, steady, sometimes side-eyed step at a time. And every one of them is in support of SickKids and the extraordinary people who do the life-saving, heart-holding, future-changing work of healing kids and supporting families when they need it most.

While I’m warm(ish), slightly overworked, and very aware of my step count, the teams at SickKids are doing the truly hard work, combining compassion, innovation, and science to give kids the best possible chance to heal and thrive. Walking inside is a small thing. Their work is not.

The encouragement and support so far has been incredible. Donations, messages, and general “you’ve got this” energy make it much easier to keep stepping when February feels endless and the walking pad feels… judgmental.

So here’s my update:

✔️ 100,000 steps down

⏳ 300,000 to go

🏠 Mostly indoors

❄️ Still very February

❤️ Still very worth it

Thank you for supporting SickKids, for cheering me on, and for helping turn a lot of indoor walking into something that actually matters.

One Step at a Time (or 400,000 of Them) for SickKids 💙

February is many things. It’s cold. It’s dark by 5 pm. It’s the month when my fitness tracker judges me the hardest. And this year, it’s also the month I decided (very confidently) that walking 15,000 steps a day (ish) for the February Step Challenge in support of SickKids was a great idea.

That’s right. I’m aiming for 400,000 steps in one month.

Why? Because SickKids does the kind of work that makes “tired” feel like a very small inconvenience. 

If you’ve ever known a child who’s been sick, or loved someone who has, you know that SickKids isn’t just a hospital. It’s a place where fear meets hope. Where science meets compassion. Where exhausted parents hand over their most precious thing in the world and trust that magic will happen.

And most days, it does.

The doctors, nurses, researchers, specialists, and staff at SickKids are doing the quiet, extraordinary work of healing kids and holding families together in moments that feel impossibly heavy. They save lives. They change futures. They make room for joy again.

 So yes, I can walk.

I can pace while on phone calls. I can walk on my walking pad while doing meetings. I can take the long way to literally everywhere. I can bundle up, complain a bit, and keep going.

Every step I take this month, whether it’s a walk, a commute, or a “why am I still not at 15,000?” lap around the kitchen island, is in support of SickKids and the kids who rely on them.

Donations raised through this challenge help fund groundbreaking research, innovative health care, and life-saving treatment for children who need it most. It’s the kind of impact that lasts far longer than my sore calves. 

If you’re able to support with a donation, I would be incredibly grateful. And if not, cheering me on, sharing this, or mentally applauding every time you see me walking in February also counts. Truly.

Thank you for supporting SickKids.

Thank you for supporting kids.

And thank you for helping turn 400,000 steps into something that really matters.

Now, if you’ll excuse me...I have some steps to take.