News: Celebs take to the catwalk for The Heart Truth Fashion Show

Last night I had the opportunity to attend The Heart Truth Fashion Show – and it’s befitting that the event fell on International Women’s Day as the campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness about the #1 killer of women in Canada: heart disease and stroke.

After an introduction from Bobbe Wood, president of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and an opening performance by poet and spoken word artist, Shane Koyczan, the runway show began. Celebrities such as Jully Black, Lisa Ray and Shannon Tweed-Simmons (accompanied by husband Gene Simmons) took to the catwalk, where all eyes were on the stunning red dresses created by several of Canada’s top designers. As the official symbol of The Heart Truth campaign, the Red Dress, was definitely the star of the evening.

After the show, I had some time to speak with one of the Heart Truth Fashion Show participants (and two-time Olympic Gold Medallist!), Catriona Le May Doan. Here at Best Health, we’ve long been fans of the Olympic athlete (she was on the cover of our January/February 2010 issue), who says that while the evening was a little out of her comfort zone, it was definitely fun and for a great cause.

"Being female, and a mom, and getting to the age that I’m at, I need the awareness and I need my friends and family to have that awareness. If I’m a name that can help spread the message, then that’s important to me," says Le May Doan.

Looking to the future, Le May Doan will soon be seen co-hosting CTV’s 2012 Summer Olympic Games Morning Show. What will she miss most not being a competing athlete at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games?

"What I’ll miss is being a part of that spirit," she says. "There’s a power and a spirit to the games, but hopefully I can bring that spirit home to Canadians [as a co-host]."

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