Marlene Boone: Sparking conversations along the Camino

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This September, four friends from B.C. will hike the 800-kilometre Camino de Santiago through France and Spain, raising awareness about HD along the way. We caught up with them as they prepared for their epic journey.

When Marlene Boone came back from the Camino de Santiago in 2014, she couldn’t stop talking about the experience. She had trekked for 34 days along the traditional pilgrim’s route, immersing herself in European history and the simple freedom that came with living out of a small backpack filled with a sleeping bag, a single change of clothes and little else.

Best of all were the connections she made on the road. “I really enjoyed meeting people from all over the world and having really great conversations about absolutely everything and anything,” the Armstrong, B.C. resident says.

Back at home, Marlene’s stories got three of her golfing buddies excited about tackling the Camino themselves. Before long, Marlene, her friends and their spouses had booked flights to France.

Their party includes Ellie Smith, who has lost several siblings and a niece to HD, while a sister and one niece are currently grappling with the fatal neurological disease. As a way to show support for their friend, Marlene and the others decided to wear buffs emblazoned with the “Team HD” logo during their hike. Marlene hopes the scarves will spark conversations about Huntington’s with people they meet in September.

Until then, Marlene is training hard and sharing tips with her future Camino comrades on how to make the most of their month-long journey. Her best advice? “Pack really, really light,” she says. “You realize how little you actually need in life just to survive and to enjoy life.”

Support Marlene’s walk by donating now! Click here to donate.