Meet the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew!
Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew is a dedicated group of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend dedicated group of participants who share helpful workout tips, excitement about their upcoming races, and details of their training —fundraising tips, yummy food pics, cool routes, and more! They are seasoned participants of all levels that engage, encourage and promote their community, helping to spread the word about Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, the Desjardins Charity Challenge, its partners, and the physical and mental benefits of movement!
Be a part of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 2025 and run or walk with this year’s Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew! Register now!
Check out our 2025 members below!
Braiden Bhindi
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 17km Challenge
Braiden Bhindi was born in Ottawa and has lived in the nation’s capital all of his life. He got into running during his time at university after being inspired by some of his fellow classmates and he hasn’t looked back. Bhindi has completed dozens of road and trail races, including two ultra marathons.
When he is not running, Bhindi enjoys travelling, taking in sunsets, live music, and other endurance activities like kayaking and cycling.
Bhindi is excited to be a part of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and he looks forward to sharing his training, whether it is on the roads and paths around Ottawa or the trails of Gatineau Park.
Francis De Souza
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 17km Challenge
Francis De Souza was born in 1975 (yes, she shares a birthday with Tamarack Race Weekend) in Schiedam the Netherlands, she immigrated to Ottawa in 2006. She is a mother to three teenagers who keep her on her toes. De Souza really enjoys being active outdoors, she also has a passion for good food. She started in 2023 and completed several 5km races and progressed to completing the Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 2024.
De Souza never relies too hard on a race day plan. “I just show up and make it work and try to have as much fun while doing it.” As a member of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew she plans to motivate, encourage, and support others the way she received support from the 2024 Otto’s Power Crew.
Joany Deslandes
Longueuil, Quebec
Ottawa 17km Challenge
Joany Deslandes loves trying new things and getting out of her comfort zone. In 2019, Deslandes agreed to join the running club at her new job where she quickly fell in love with running, completing nearly thirty events in her first year, in Quebec, Ontario and the United States.
It was thanks to Mélanie, an Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew alumni, that she was able to achieve her goal of running the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon in 2023.
Having fallen in love with Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, Deslandes decided to become a pace bunny for the 2024 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon with a mission to help runners achieve their goals.
Deslandes will continue to share her love of running while helping others this January when she begins her role as the lead of the La Crinquée running club in Longueuil. She is looking forward to being a part of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew!
Stéphanie Eikenberry
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 17km Challenge
Running in support of: CHEO Foundation
Stephanie Eikenberry discovered her passion for running in 2022, inspired by her husband, an avid runner. After navigating a challenging health journey, she sought an activity that would support both her physical and mental well-being. Beyond that, she aimed to inspire others to embrace movement.
Over the past three years, her running has steadily progressed, along with her enthusiasm for motivating those around her. She has cherished becoming part of Ottawa’s vibrant running community.
A proud middle-of-the-pack runner, Eikenberry has typically favoured shorter distance events. However, she is now setting her sights on a new goal, completing a marathon. She is excited to be a part of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew!
Dustin Gavin
Ottawa, Ontario
Tartan Ottawa International Marathon
Dustin Gavin is a Prince Edward Island-born runner, he is thrilled to be returning for his second year as a member of the Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew. This year’s Tartan Ottawa International Marathon will mark Gavin’s 37th marathon!
As a healthcare professional by trade and a runner by passion, Gavin is the run lead for the Somerset Runners, where he enjoys pacing friends and capturing their photos during their group runs. Running is a way for him to escape, challenge himself and his path to better health. He enjoys pushing himself to improve and the extra motivation that competition provides helps him to strive for excellence.
Dustin Gerstenfield
Nashua, New Hampshire
Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Dustin Gerstenfield wasn’t much of a runner in high school. Years later, in 2014, Gerstenfield would run his first half marathon on a whim and he was hooked. He has now completed ten half marathons and two full marathons (including a charity bib for Boston in 2022).
Gerstenfield made his first trip to Ottawa and ran the 2024 Ottawa 36.1KM Challenge at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on the recommendation and encouragement of his friend, 2024 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew Member, Chris Rutter. He had such a great experience and enjoyed his time in Ottawa so much that he wanted to do his part to spread the word about the great race experience he had.
Gerstenfield lives in Nashua, New Hampshire with his husband Justin and their two cats Charlotte and Grover. He works at a Boston area Community College where he serves as an IT Director and adjunct faculty. In addition to running, he enjoys exploring new places, reading a good non-fiction book, and spending time with his friends. He is honoured to be a member of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew Member and is excited to share his training journey and return to Ottawa to enjoy all that the Canadian capital has to offer.
Chris Huddleston
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa
Chris Huddleston began running as part of his involvement in soccer and rugby, but he took a stronger interest in the sport after participating in the Army Run in 2012 and the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend in 2013.
In recent years, Huddleston has become more engaged with local running groups, discovering its large social aspect. He finds the running community incredibly welcoming, how easy it is to be able to join a running group or race anywhere, and to connect with supportive, inspiring people.
For Huddleston, running is a blend of physical and mental well-being, a sense of community, a love for the outdoors, and the motivation to compete and grow as a runner. He also hopes to set an example for his two teenagers, even though they’re not runners (yet!). Huddleston is excited to join the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and share his running journey to Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend this spring!
Sheridan Hunt
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa
Back in 2010 Sheridan Hunt signed up for the Ottawa Half Marathon at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on a bet and caught the running bug. She signed up again for the Ottawa Half Marathon the following year and when her race day didn’t go as planned she took a break from running for six years. During that break she got married, became a mother, and started teaching.
In 2017 her husband, Charles, was starting to take up running again. He knew if Hunt just got back out there and started running again she would really enjoy it. One day on maternity leave, Hunt’s husband suggested that she go out for a run, and she did just that!
Having an active lifestyle as a mother can be hard but Hunt finds that running makes her feel mentally stronger and makes her feel that she can handle the curveballs of life better. It’s important to her that her children see how important staying active is even as an adult. Running has given Hunt so many different opportunities that she would have never dreamed of back in 2010.
Hunt is looking forward to sharing her training and is excited to be part of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew!
Bridget King
Toronto, Ontario
Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Bridget King is a runner and community run leader based in Toronto. She started running in 2018 when her sister convinced her to sign up for the Ottawa 10K and she hasn’t looked back since! She quickly discovered that running was a great outlet to not only stay in shape but take care of her mental health. Fast forward six years and King has now completed seven half marathons (including the Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins twice), 3 full marathons and she will be running her first ultra-marathon in 2025 in South Africa. King is the Co-Leader of We Run North York, a community run club in Toronto.
Although she lives in Toronto, her family in Ottawa brings her to the city frequently. King is known to join some of the local run clubs when visiting (shout out to Somerset Runners)!
King is looking forward to returning to Ottawa for her 4th Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend as an Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew member and completing the Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins alongside her family and friends!
Stefanie Kotschwar
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 36.1km Challenge
Running in support of: Ottawa Therapy Dogs
Stefanie Kotschwar started running in 2010 while completing her Masters in Plymouth, England. Running was a great way to get outside more often and increase her activity. That was just the beginning.
In 2010 she ran her first 10km road race in Toronto and she loved her experience so much that she then began training for her first half marathon that winter! Training over the winter was tough, and Kotschwar decided after completing her first half marathon in 2011, that she would stick to training in nicer weather. A few years later she started to embrace winter running and Kotschwar trained for and completed her first marathon in Berlin in 2015!
2015 was also the year that Kotschwar moved to Ottawa and has since discovered its great and varied running community. Running is what helps her stay grounded and allows her to come back refreshed for her busy day job as a Registered Veterinary Technician.
Kotschwar is looking forward to spending this year as a member of Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and sharing all the ups and downs of training for Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
Hannah Manning
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 17km Challenge
Running in support of: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Hannah Manning started running in 2012 as a way to commit to making time for herself and her fitness. Over the years, she has found support, motivation, and friendship within the Ottawa running community. Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is one of her favourite weekends of the year. Manning has run everything from the Ottawa 5k to the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon and loves to cheer on others when she’s not participating.
Manning was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and took a break from running while undergoing treatment, focusing on other ways to be active. Daily movement has been amazing for her physical and mental health. Her return to running has been a big milestone in her recovery and she’s excited to dive back into a training plan. She’s also looking forward to taking part in the Desjardins Charity Challenge to give back to those who supported her throughout treatment.
In 2025 Manning is running the Ottawa 17 km Challenge, tackling the three shortest distances in a single day: the Ottawa 2K, the Ottawa 5K and the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa. She’s excited to share her journey as a member of the Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and connect with others chasing their goals!
David Merino
Ottawa, Ontario
Tartan Ottawa International Marathon
David Merino began running in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Running was a way to get out of the house and it went from a necessity, to a habit, to a lifestyle quickly!
Merino balances running with other aspects of his life by appreciating the natural rhythms of training cycles. The ebbs and flows can be hard but he stays secure knowing that it all balances out over the course of a year. He likes to do his easy runs along the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River. That’s where Merino makes time for some reflection on the other areas in his life.
He advises new runners to gain experience, and with that experience you’ll gain knowledge about what works and what doesn’t in your training and on race day. The first two races Merino ever participated in did not go as well as he had planned, and resulted in disappointment. He used that as an opportunity to work on his strategy, training, and execution.
Getting more experience allowed Merino to complete three races in 29 days in the fall of 2024, where he was able to achieve a personal record at each event. This year, he wants to repeat his best and worst races, and see how much he’s improved!
Merino has a lot of love for the running community, especially on race days. “So many people made last year’s Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend amazing, like the Xtra Mile Crew, course marshals, and pace bunnies.” He is looking forward to being a part of this year’s Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew.
Sarah Pétrin-Perron
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Sarah Pétrin-Perron ran her first race in 2010 and remembers feeling self-conscious seeing her post race pictures. After that, running and racing with others felt awkward for her until 2019, when something clicked and she started focusing on how running made her feel rather than her speed or how she looked. Running began as a way for Pétrin-Perron to clear her mind and get into her body during tough times, and it quickly became a passion that’s helped her grow as an athlete and connect with others. She now loves racing so much that she is training for a long-distance triathlon in 2025.
Knowing how vulnerable it can feel to wear tight clothing or try something new, Pétrin-Perron is passionate about making running inclusive for everyone. She brings this spirit to her role as the leader of Dominion City Run Club, creating a welcoming space for runners of all paces and abilities.
Pétrin-Perron loves Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend because, for her, it’s like a runner’s Christmas where everyone comes together to celebrate their goals. She ran her first marathon at the 2024 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon and is excited to keep the energy high while cheering and running the Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins in 2025.
Chris Rutter
Worthington, Ohio
Ottawa 36.1km Challenge
Chris Rutter, is an avid runner and passionate advocate for health, wellness and the running community. He resides in Worthington, Ohio, with his husband, Steve, and their rescue dogs, Moira and Teddy. A true lover of Canada, Rutter and his family visit frequently throughout the year. To date, Rutter has completed 14 full marathons, including the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon in both 2023 and 2024. Rutter’s running journey also includes 25 half marathons, and he is currently gearing up for the Ottawa 36.1km Challenge.
For Rutter, running is about more than crossing the finish line—it’s a way to nurture his mental and physical health. He treasures the supportive running community, the sense of accomplishment, and the balance it brings to his life. Rutter is honored to return as part of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and looks forward to celebrating the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend with fellow runners and enthusiasts!
Eric Sin
Toronto, Ontario
Ottawa 59.2km Challenge
Eric Sin has been a passionate runner since 2013. As a lifeguard, he wanted to improve his endurance and breath control and he thought the best way to do that would be by hitting the pavement. Sin has set an ambitious goal for himself of completing at least 100 marathons! The 2025 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon will mark a significant milestone for him as it will be his 30th marathon. It will also be where he will take on the exciting Ottawa 59.2km Challenge.
Sin loves to encourage and inspire others on their running journey. If you see him at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend this year, don’t be afraid to say hi, he’ll tell you that one of his favourite races in Canada is the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon!
He is looking forward to being part of this year’s Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and inspiring others to give it their all!
Patricia Silva-Roy
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa 36.1km Challenge
Patricia Silva-Roy has been running for as long as she can remember. Growing up you could find her running outside and participating in school track and cross-country events. Silva-Roy first became hooked in the Ottawa running community after running her first 10K in 2018 at Tamarack Ottawa Race weekend. Since then, she has gotten into running longer distances, completing her first marathon in 2023 and her second in 2024.
For Silva-Roy, running is more than a sport, it’s a way to care for her body, mental health, and connect with the community. She has met many people through running and has been inspired by many to accomplish new goals. Whether she’s aiming for a new personal best, trying a new race for the first time, or training for her next event, you can always find her smiling and enjoying every run. Outside of running, Silva-Roy enjoys cooking new recipes and spending time outside with her family, friends and dog. She is excited to share all the excitement of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend as a member of Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew!
Karolina Tomaszewska
Toronto, Ontario
Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa
Karolina Tomaszewska is an adventure enthusiast based in downtown Toronto. Having taken up physical activity somewhat later in life, Tomaszewska is now playing catch up. Fueled by a sense of curiosity, she seeks out and takes on a variety of challenges whenever possible. She has many leisurely pursuits and collects hobbies and shoes with reckless abandon.
Tomaszewska uses running as a form of exploration; hustling through graffiti covered alleys one day, urban trails and forests the next day and running to art pops up in various corners of the city whenever possible. She is an avid and very active member of the Toronto running community, attending and assisting at any opportunity. She is currently the co-leader of The Breakfast Club Toronto, an early morning exploratory run group and also provides route support for groups Parkdale Roadrunners and RunTOBeer.
When not undertaking adventurous running pursuits, Tomaszewska can be found in a pilates room trying to find balance or strutting about town with her long dog, Buckminster. She is looking forward to being a part of the 2025 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and sharing all things Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend!