For Chris Khalili, cross-country running is all about winning and to hit top speed, Chris imagines frightening figures chasing him through the woods around his home in Victoria, B.C. When forest fires displace people from the north of the island, Chris's community takes in refugees. He becomes friends with Jason, a First Nations kid who's also a runner. He and Jason train together, but Chris is horrified when the figures in his mind become stereotypical “Indian” warriors. When Chris's father takes sudden interest in helping Jason and his family, Chris recognizes prejudices and the harm they do. For the first time, Chris learns about his father's emigration from Iran as a young man, and starts to think about the struggles he faced what it really means to run for your life.
Description:
For Chris Khalili, cross-country running is all about winning and to hit top speed, Chris imagines frightening figures chasing him through the woods around his home in Victoria, B.C. When forest fires displace people from the north of the island, Chris's community takes in refugees. He becomes friends with Jason, a First Nations kid who's also a runner. He and Jason train together, but Chris is horrified when the figures in his mind become stereotypical “Indian” warriors. When Chris's father takes sudden interest in helping Jason and his family, Chris recognizes prejudices and the harm they do. For the first time, Chris learns about his father's emigration from Iran as a young man, and starts to think about the struggles he faced what it really means to run for your life.