Lisa Marie Young was active and a fitness challenge hopes to honour her dedication and continue to raise awareness about her disappearance. (submitted)

By Ian Holmes

Fitness challenge

‘It’s a positive outlet:’ fitness challenge honours missing Nanaimo woman Lisa Young

Feb 25, 2021 | 5:33 AM

NANAIMO — Friends and supporters turned to fitness in support of a long-lost Nanaimo woman to raise awareness and boost their own well-being.

40 Days of Fitness for Lisa launched on Feb. 11 to honour Lisa Marie Young’s upcoming 40^th birthday on May 5.

Young hasn’t been seen since vanishing from Nanaimo after a night out with friends on June 30, 2002.

Friend and activist in Young’s disappearance Cyndy Hall said it’s a fitting campaign since Young loved fitness and was a vegetarian.

“There is a lot of highs and lows and I just found myself feeling more depressed and anxious, so when Laura made the suggestion it just really struck me as a great idea.”

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Podcaster Laura Palmer pitched the fitness campaign idea.

Palmer’s highly subscribed series ‘Island Crime Season 1: Where is Lisa?‘ generated considerable attention for the cold case over the past several months.

Hall said about 30 people pledged to take part in 40 Days of Fitness for Lisa, which involves some participants posting updates on a Facebook support page for Young.

“We have people in Canada, we have people in the states, we even have a police officer in Ireland taking part,” Hall told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Hall said her physical and mental health has noticeably improved two weeks into the campaign which sees her strive for at least 10,000 steps daily.

RCMP believe Young met foul play and is deceased.

There have been no arrests made in connection to Young’s disappearance, who was 21-years-old at the time.

Nanaimo RCMP confirmed the Young case led to a search of a Nanaimo Lakes Rd. property late last year, but wouldn’t provide further information.

An annual march takes place in downtown Nanaimo to draw more attention and encourage people with information on what happened to Young to come forward.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes