Secret marathon meets social change
Kate McKenzie, Master of Digital Media
Kate McKenzie never planned to run a marathon – let alone while wearing a hijab in the scorching summer heat of Afghanistan. But the Master of Digital Media (opens in new window) student not only did it, but also filmed a documentary about the brave women in a country known mainly for war.
In Afghanistan, women must run in their backyards for fear of being stoned to death while training in public. Similarly, the marathon route is kept secret prior to the event to protect the runners’ safety. Inspired by their courage, Kate ran the marathon with a fellow Canadian and three Afghan women and is now sharing their story with the world.
Kate credits TMU with supporting her goal of using storytelling for social change: “Being part of the MDM graduate program helped me learn how to share our film in a way that would engage audiences and use digital platforms to grow our community – this is an environment that helps grad students succeed.”
At TMU, we challenge convention to improve our collective causes.
Photo credit: The Secret Marathon (external link, opens in new window)