‘Not a bubble wrap kind of gal’

Truro woman contributes to community by eagerly saying ‘yes’

Whether it’s helping at a fundraiser, taking part in a search or running a marathon, Marianne Casey is usually on the go. And at the age of 62, she continues to add new experiences to her life.

“When someone asks if I want to do something, I usually say sure,” said the Truro woman. “I definitely say yes to just about anything. Not a bubble wrap kind of gal.”

She’s always been a person who was ready to help others, but while raising three children her time was limited. Once the kids were old enough, she was able to explore a variety of new activities.

“There are things to do throughout the year,” she said. “I recently went ice fishing for the first time. I spend a lot of time running, biking and walking in the upper part of Victoria Park. I go fat biking and it’s amazing. It’s gorgeous up in the park. Someone compared it to biking through a snowglobe this time of year.”

During other seasons she goes mountain biking and has taken part in the Ride for Cancer. Biking is something Casey only got really involved with four years ago, after taking part in the Boston Marathon.

She had always been a runner, taking part in cross country events, so when a friend asked her about competing in the 2019 Boston Marathon she said yes.

She finished with a time of 4:16:54.

She plans to take part in the Cape Breton Fiddlers Run this autumn.

Other activities she enjoys include downhill and cross country-skiing, dog sledding, kayaking, ziplining and photography. She used to play flue in the Truro Concert Band and was taking uukulele lessons before COVID struck.

Casey is also an active member of Colchester Ground Search and Rescue.

“I was interested in it for a long time ... We train Tuesday nights and the odd weekend. We do searches and after the hurricane (Fiona) we manned comfort stations and did wellness checks.”

She also helps Carma Cat Rescue and Save a Life Canada with fundraising events, babysits dogs for friends and relatives, takes part in Colchester Research Group studies and is a board member of the foundation for Steps on Arthur.

Casey also enjoys travel, and she and her daughter backpacked across much of Europe. She’s also visited South Africa, the Caribbean and Mexico, as well as many places in North America – and plans to visit Greece later this year. Wherever she goes, she’s ready to try new experiences and foods.

“I don’t stay still long,” she said. “I like being busy. I like having a lot of things on the go so there’s a lot of variety. I’m a firm believer that if you have the opportunity, you have to say yes. Seize the day. Try something new. You never know what you’re going to find that you’ll enjoy.”