Heart Breaker Challenge returns for their final year 

The annual Heart Breaker Challenge will return for its final year. 

The event, which is aimed at raising awareness and funding for the Cardiac, Stroke and Pulmonary Rehab Programs at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, will return on May 27 after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Over 9,000 participants have supported this event in previous years, accepting the challenge to walk, jog or run roughly a 5-7 kilometre muddy course with a number of challenging obstacles throughout. 

The Heart Breaker Challenge was the first of its kind in Windsor-Essex created by the Petro family. 

Since the event began in 2013, it has raised nearly $850,000 and counting in support of Cardiac Wellness and Pulmonary Rehab at Hôtel-Dieu, and this year the Petro family is hoping to round-out the fundraising total to $1-million. 

Jason Petro, Co-Event Lead for the Heart Breaker Challenge, says it was the right time to wrap up the event. 

"My family and I have fundraised since the year 2000 in different events for the hospital and programming here at Cardiac Wellness. So, it's been a 20-year run of doing community fundraising events, and we just thought it fitting it be wrapping up at this point in time."

Jason Petro says there are plenty of obstacles throughout the course.

"Our catch phrase of 'Get Fit, Get Dirty, and Give Back' caught on and really it's just about getting people out and getting active. And there's anywhere from 15 to 20 obstacles throughout Malden Park."

Heidi Petro, Co-Event Lead for Heart Breaker Challenge, says they are hoping for a large crowd to come out. 

"There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm and excitement about the return of the event. I think that in sort of the post-pandemic recovery, bringing people together for fun, and mud, and a team-based event is something people are really looking forward to."

Heidi Petro says she's going to miss the event. 

"There certainly is a lot of energy, it's palpable, you can feel the excitement and how happy people are to be there. Seeing people's faces as they cross the finish line, covered in mud, grinning from ear to ear, feeling that sense of accomplishment and that teamwork, is certainly something I'm going to miss."

Registration is now open and more information can be found by clicking here.

The event will take place on Saturday May 27 at Malden Park, located at 4200 Matchette Road. 

The funding has helped build the Petro Family Exercise Centre in Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare on the third floor in honour of the Petro family's contributions. 

-with files from AM800's Rob Hindi