Walking a mile in one’s shoes is enlightening. Running a mile in Zoe Hamel’s may induce cardiac arrest. Last month, the Pearson professor taught a master class to the entire Capital Region by winning the Royal Victoria marathon—a victory the Times Colonist deemed worthy of a front-page headline.
The newfound fame has not gone to Hamel’s head. The second-year Pearson math and econ teacher from Sedan, France, allowed us a few questions so we could get a glimpse beyond the beads of sweat.
How did you end up at Pearson?
“I heard about UWC during my master’s through a friend who was at UWC USA. At the time I was doing my Masters in math at UBC, I decided to apply to some open math positions at UWCs and I started at Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa in Eswatini in 2019, then at UWC Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina (2019-2023), and now Pearson (since 2023).”
How long have you been running?
“I have always done lots of sports. I played a lot of tennis until I graduated from university, so I ran as training for tennis which is very different from what I do now. When I wasn’t playing tennis or another sport, I would go out for a run. I have always enjoyed it and ran at some school events or local 10k races. I would say I started “running to run” (2 to 3 times a week without any sort of plan) after university in 2014 when I was done with tennis.”
When did you get serious about it?
“I started running more during Covid. I was in France and some of the friends I used to go out for a run with had joined a running club, so I was following the training plans with them. Since then, I have been running with this club from a distance. The coach of the club sends me training plans and I join their trainings when I am home. I have also joined a local club in Victoria.”
Have you been doing any running with students?
“I am supervising the running CAS and we run on the Goose and sometimes at Royal Bay track. We train for a 5K during the first term where we do the Parkrun in Victoria, then start training for a 10K which we’ll do in Sooke in March. About 20 students participated in and successfully completed the 10K last year. At UWC Mostar, I led a program that prepared students to run the Mostar half-marathon. It became very popular and very inspiring to see how many took on the challenge to run the 21 kilometers, especially those who never ran before and could not run for 15 minutes without a break.”
What message would you give to Pearson students wanting to pursue a personal challenge?
“Find joy in the process of doing something difficult, not just the satisfaction you think you might feel when you accomplish your goals. I really enjoy running and even if it is a lot of solo time, which I enjoy too, and some extremely hard miles that I don’t always feel like doing, I get something else out of it that is not directly connected to my results. It’s the time outside, spending it with friends, and community. I always look forward to my weekly group training sessions and meeting up with friends on long runs or difficult workouts on the weekends. Start with small reachable goals on the way to your bigger goal and be patient when it doesn’t work. It’s just a personal challenge, it is supposed to make you happier.”
Can you make any connection between your training or running and the IB program and the challenges it presents?
Hamel crossing the finish line at the Royal Victoria Marathon. Photo: Darren Stone/Times Colonist
“Yes, I think for most challenging things we do, it is similar. Figuring out how much you want to train or study and matching expectations or goals to the level of commitment you give. Results don’t always match the effort and time you put in. You are working with other people to help you, but setting your own goal based on where you are at. Sometimes you just need to do it, even when you don’t feel like it! Anything difficult is easier when you choose to do it and enjoy it.”
Do you have any other passions?
“Tennis was my main sport, but I just like sports in general. I have done a good amount of long-distance bike touring. Anything that gets me out.”
You’ve checked “marathon win” off your bucket list. Any other goals or dreams on the horizon?
“Winning is nice, but you can’t control who you are competing with and how fast others will run on that day. For now, I am going to continue focusing on the marathon and see if/how much faster I can go. Within the marathon training, I can also give myself a chance to improve on shorter distances (10K and half marathon). I enjoy the training. The island and Vancouver have great running communities, and many competitive races so I will take advantage of this for now. Then, we will see!”