By Elli Townsend
In our current era which favours immediacy over careful contemplation, some things still take a lifetime to achieve – and they are worth the wait. Just ask Red Deer’s Women of Excellence Lifetime Achievement award winner, Nora Styner. A long-time Canadian Red Cross volunteer, Styner also took home the Red Deer & Community’s leadership award in the category of Athletics, Recreation and Fitness. Both awards symbolize Styner’s unwavering commitment to volunteerism.
Styner’s Athletics, Recreation and Fitness Award is due to her 25-year commitment to the Link to Health’s twice-weekly fitness program for the over 55 age bracket. Although the Link to Health class transitioned from the Red Cross to the Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre, Yvonne Bauer, Red Cross Assistant Coordinator for Operations Support in Red Deer, nominated Styner for the fitness award.
“I enjoy it; I get a lot out of it,” says Styner. Despite overcoming her own obstacles, Styner has only missed a handful of classes over the past 25 years. What started out as curiosity and as a participant in the original Red Cross Fun and Fitness program evolved to a leadership role in which Styner has not stopped since. Bauer adds, “She’s a great example for everyone.”
When Styner isn’t teaching classes, she also volunteers at the local Red Deer Hospital – which she has done for the past 45 years. And when Styner isn’t volunteering, she helps with her local Sunnybrook United Church, the United Church Women program, sings in the church choir, gardens, and is pretty good when it comes to crafts.
Styner has no intentions of slowing down, and the positive impact she brings to her community is certainly an asset for the people of Red Deer.
Find out how your skills can benefit your community through
Red Cross volunteer opportunities. Visit for information about the
Golden Circle’s fitness classes.