Home - Crohn's and Colitis Canada’s Gutsy Walk

Thank you to everyone who took part in and supported this year’s Gutsy Walk^TM, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s largest community event celebrating people affected by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis!

In the last 26 years, Gutsy Walk^TM has raised nearly $50 million for research projects that have led to important findings in the understanding of inflammatory bowel disease—and this year, we are so proud to say over $2.3 million was raised through the dedication of our volunteers and participants and the generosity of supporters!

On Sunday, June 6, Canadians from coast-to-coast rallied together to show a wave of support for all those living with IBD. Not only did we raise funds that will support essential Crohn’s and colitis research for years to come, but we also showed everyone in this community that they are not alone. So many people shared with us their stories, their successes, and their dedication on social media and through email, and we inspired by you all.

Thanks again for being part of team #gutsywalk this year! Fundraising for the 2021 Gutsy Walk is now closed. Stay tuned for more details about next year’s walk, which will take place on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Save the date!

If you missed our special Gutsy Walk Celebration video this year, give it a watch below to see what the Gutsy Walk spirit is all about. Thanks again for all your support!

Together as one we walk to stop Crohn’s and colitis.

2021 National Honorary Chair

Ashley Clark

Hi everyone, my name is Ashley and I am this year’s Gutsy Walk National Honorary Chair. As someone who has been living with Crohn’s disease for over 9 years, I have experienced first-hand the challenges and setbacks that life with Crohn’s or colitis can bring. Since getting my ostomy, I have become a passionate advocate for raising awareness around the freedom and better quality of life that an ostomy can bring. I am so excited to help bring the Crohn’s and colitis community together for this year’s 26th annual Gutsy Walk, and I invite you to sign-up to walk with us on Sunday, June 6!

Mandi & Asher

We've been participating in the Gutsy Walk for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada since 2018. We walk to bring awareness to the fact that IBD effects children too. We walk so that kids like Asher can have hope for a healthy and happy future living with IBD. We walk so that families know they are not alone on this journey. We walk to raise funds for important research to help all Canadians with IBD.

Claudia & Simona

We were both diagnosed with IBD around our 10th birthdays. Although we're sisters, our diseases are very different – both in diagnosis and in symptom presentation. Throughout our disease course, we participated in the GEM Project which aims to pinpoint the triggers of Crohn’s disease. Fundraisers such as the Gutsy Walk allow Crohn’s and Colitis Canada to continue supporting amazing research, like the GEM Project. Participating in the Gutsy Walk is important to us because it allows us to give back to this community by raising the funds necessary to continue this research, in the hopes that we will find a cure.

Rajesh

My name’s Rajesh and I’m looking forward to participating in my first Gutsy Walk this June. With nearly 270,000 IBD cases Canada wide, and forecasted to reach 400,000 in the next 10 years, its so important to take part in this flagship campaign to raise awareness and much-needed funds. I’ve been living with Crohn’s for the last fifteen years and after four surgeries and numerous remission treatments, I realize the significance of an ultimate cure. This walk and other fundraising activities is no less than a blessing to research, advocacy and support programs for IBD patients like me.

Navjit

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2013 and I'm currently the Chapter President and 2021 Gutsy Walk Chair of Fraser Valley East, British Columbia. Gutsy Walk matters to me because it helps fund critical IBD research and programs to support those living with IBD. As a 4th year UBC PharmD student and former Research Assistant at the Vallance Lab at BC Children’s Research Institute, I have seen the positive impacts of our collective fundraising efforts firsthand. At the same time, this annual event also helps raise awareness amongst the general public and helps remove the stigma around discussing gut health.