The memory of a kind, loving and passionate young lady and athlete continues to inspire the Wetaskiwin community and affect positive change thanks to the efforts of her family and friends.
The second annual Madi Stephan Sprint Challenge will be held on Sunday, June 8, starting at the Norm Brown Field in Wetaskiwin, at 11 a.m.
The fundraising event, hosted by PHASE Athletics in partnership with the Live Like Madi movement, is in honour of Madi, who was killed in a car accident in 2019 at the age of 22.
The event is a day of movement, memories and meaning as loved ones and community members come together to celebrate Madi's legacy with a day of her favourite track and field events.
Madi's mother Shannon Stephan described her daughter as "loving, caring and joyful and a light in so many lives," adding Madi was a fierce mental health advocate and in love with being alive.
The Stephan family started the Live Like Madi movement in 2019 to honour their daughter and sibling.
LiveLikeMadi posts monthly challenges designed to spread kindness called Madi Monthly Missions, inspiring the community to emulate the extraordinary qualities that Madi lived by, said Shannon
Proceeds generated by the movement are donated to local organizations, including food banks and the Boys and Girls Club.
To-date, the movement has donated $11,325 back into the community.
The Stephan family also sponsors a monthly prize and an annual scholarship from their own funds, separate from the movement.
A phenomenal track and field athlete, a running event became a natural way to celebrate and honour Madi.
Madi ran for the Leduc Track Club and the Wetaskiwin Composite High School 9WCHS) Sabres from 2013 to 2015, excelling in the 100m, 200m and relay races.
She represented Zone 4 in the Alberta Summer Games in 2014 and qualified in the 100m and 200m finals at provincials in 2014 and 2015.
Her personal best times still remain in the top 20 all-time records in both the 100m and 200m at the Leduc Track Club.
PHASE - the Peace Hills Academy for Speed and Endurance - started in 2024 and is the first track and field club in the Wetaskiwin area.
The registered society was founded by coaches Dallas Kendrick, Maddie Bles and Natasha Howe. Bles and Howe are former teammates of Madi's.
"I knew Madi in high school and we became friends," said Bles.
Madi and Bles were in the same grade at WCHS and ran together on the Sabres team and also travelled together to Leduc for practices. Howe also practiced with them in Leduc.
Bles said it was Howe's idea to do something in honour of Madi and they decided to do something around running because "that was what our friendships were based off of."
They approached Shannon with the idea, who was all for it, said Bles.
"We just jumped on board and that's how it all began," said Shannon.
Because Madi was a sprinter, not a long distance runner, the ladies decided to hold a sprint challenge event.
Live Like Madi is now a sponsor of PHASE Athletics. The Stephans have a table at the sprint challenge, sharing Madi's story and selling #LiveLikeMadi merchandise, the proceeds of which are donated to PHASE.
PHASE Athletics fundraises to keep registration fees lower for their runners and to invest in their athletes, facility and equipment.
The first sprint challenge in 2024 went "surprisingly well" for a first-time fundraiser, said Bles.
It was a fun, relaxed meet that both adults and kids took part in, she said.
There were about 50 or 60 people in the 100m and 200m events.
Only two high school boys were able to beat Madi's personal best times: 13.25 in the 100m and 27.12 in the 200m.
"Nobody else could break her time," said Bles.
The day was capped off with a coaches versus athletes relay race - the coaches won.
"We got to honour Madi; it was good - it was an emotional day," said Bles.
"That was really fun. I think she would've really enjoyed that."
All of this happened before PHASE was even an official team.
The organization had just started out. While they had athletes that were running unattached and they were holding practices, it wasn't until August that their paper work was through and Alberta Athletics recognized them as an official team.
Participants in the 2025 sprint challenge can choose from the 100m, 200m, 1km, 4x100m relays and a 60m sprint for children under age five.
Also new this year is a walk-a-thon to allow more adults to participate.
There will be a silent auction, #LiveLikeMadi merchandise, a barbecue concession, and prizes. All ages are welcome.
"I'm quite excited," said Bles, adding the 2025 event is shaping up to be bigger and better, with more parents, a planning committee, volunteers and donations than before.
Registration is now open online on PHASE Athletic's website. Spots for some events will be open to walk-ons they day of the event.
For more information, visit phaseathleticsclub.com.
