2026 ambassadors
The 2026 pride & remembrance run Ambassador team has been assembled to represent the diversity, social, active, and community-minded spirit we believe in.
Our Ambassadors are volunteers who are here to connect and inspire you, and to promote our message of inclusion and giving back to the community. Need training tips? Have a question about race prep? Want to know how to take a better runfie (running selfie)? Ask our Ambassadors!
If you are interested in connecting with us for future Ambassador opportunities, please email us at marketing@priderun.org
Abhinav Gupta (he/him)
@atorontogupta
Abhi is an endurance cyclist since 2023 with the Friends for Life Bike Rally, and a new runner. He is thrilled to be an ambassador for the 30th anniversary as it will be his first pride & remembrance run. First experiencing Toronto Pride in 2018, his journey being a Toronto boy exploring and coming to peace with his identity has been onwards and upwards, which is why he considers this experience so personally meaningful. Let’s go!
Andrew Chung (he/him)
@andrewchungyyz
A five-time marathoner since 2024, Andrew is honoured to be a 2026 pride & remembrance run Ambassador. Through his experience with queer run clubs, he’s become a passionate advocate for safe, celebratory spaces where queer athletes can be seen and thrive. This commitment to community well-being carries over into his role as President & CEO of HF Care, supporting East and Southeast Asian mental health in the GTA across five locations. Andrew balances his training with a love for travel, EDM, and eating his way through every neighbourhood in Toronto.
Bernie Lee Thompson (he/they)
@bernieleethompson
As a member of Steps to Health with Good Shepherd in Hamilton, Bernie trained to walk/run at age 64 for the Road2Hope after their identical twin passed away. Bernie's 1st pride & remembrance run was in 2017 as an Ontario Masters Runner where they placed 2nd in their age group.
At age 72 they began their transition from female to trans non-binary. Now at age 80 they are looking forward to participating in the 30th Anniversary of the pride & remembrance run under a new category (non-binary).
Bernie keeps themself busy walk/jogging in Kelly Arnott VRPRO Races in Hamilton/Burlington, sitting on the Good Shepherd Lived Experience Advisory Council, and participated in a Digital storytelling Workshop - 2SLGBTQ+ E/elders Share their Digital Stories of Aging with Difference. Recently all 9 short videos were viewed at the Lesbo-Queer Solidarities Symposium March 6-7 2026 in Montreal.
Bernie also enjoys singing, attending church, and playing with their two cats Misty and Millie.
David Pimentel (he/him)
@daerpi
David has spent over 20 years as an elementary school teacher, working to build strong, vibrant communities both in and out of the classroom. It’s no surprise that when he discovered running, he fell in love not just with the runner’s high, but with the sense of connection that comes with it.
Now on a mission to run a marathon in every province, David is chasing more than finish lines, he’s chasing joy and adventure. This year marks his second-ever pride & remembrance run, and he couldn’t be more excited to celebrate as an ambassador.
When he’s not logging kilometers, you’ll find David on stage, singing his heart out with Forte - Toronto Gay Men’s Chorus, bringing the same passion and energy to music as he does to running - either that, or recovering on the couch with his husband, Arren, and his dog, Alfie.
Helen Saygan (she/her)
@hcrms
Helen Saygan is a Toronto-based creative and community builder, and co-leads Fast Food Runs—a run and activity club centred on movement, connection, and shared experiences. With a background in design, marketing, and product, she creates spaces that bring people together in meaningful and accessible ways.
Grounded in wellness, connection, and growth, she believes movement can be a tool for self-discovery, healing, and belonging—especially within queer spaces.
As a pride & remembrance run Ambassador, Helen is passionate about making running feel approachable, inclusive, and rooted in joy—creating space for people to show up as they are and grow through community.
Jesse Barkey (he/him)
@jessebarkley
Jesse Barkley is a media executive working across content strategy, development & branded entertainment. He got his start in creative pursuits as a ballet dancer training under some tough (but lovely) teachers, which means he tends to take things way too seriously. This habit comes in handy with running - Jesse’s preparing for his fourth marathon but it’s participating in his very first pride & remembrance run alongside his community that he’s most excited about.
When he’s not running, Jesse likes to read, binge reality TV shows, and walk his rescue dog Boby, who is a very good boy unless there’s a squirrel.
Kevin Doe (he/him)
@kevdoe
Kevin's love of running was reignited during the pandemic, and he is once again excited to be participating in the pride & remembrance run for the fourth year in a row.
Born and raised in Toronto, Kevin wears many hats as a high school teacher and an actor. Kevin is dedicated to equity and inclusion education and has supported many initiatives including the TDSB GSA Network, International Day of Pink, and a brand-new queer youth drop-in program called COMET located in North Toronto.
Most notably as an actor, Kevin performed as Buddy in the North American tour of We Will Rock You (where he also casually made his off-Broadway debut). You may have also caught Kevin in Quaker Canada's viral social media campaign as The Humble Runner, where he trained for and ran the Toronto Half-Marathon.
Kevin is thrilled to be an ambassador for the 2026 pride & remembrance run!
Lisa Sweetman (she/her)
@lisasweetrun
Lisa is thrilled to be joining the ambassador team for this year’s pride & remembrance run. As an elementary health and physical education teacher and coach of cross country, track & field, and Team Unbreakable, she is passionate about the physical wellbeing, mental health, and active participation of children and youth. Throughout various health journeys in her life - including surviving a brain tumour - Lisa has always turned to running as a means of healing, growing, and thriving. She has run many races over the last 20 years, ranging in distances from 5km to 100km, including the challenging Squamish50 50km race. Lisa is a mother to two young children, a wife, and a race director with 5Peaks Ontario. When not running, she can be found reading fiction, attending Toronto Sceptres games with her family, and working on her memoir.
Malcolm Ramsay (he/they)
@malcolmmalcolm
Malcolm is a PhD Candidate at U of T who has studied lemurs in Madagascar and geladas in Ethiopia. Malcolm was born and raised in downtown Toronto, but is newer to the running world here. He started with Queer Run Club and Parkdale Road Runners as a way to build community in Toronto after returning home from a long absence. Rather than trying to be a great runner, he is attempting to be mediocre at multiple sports and has taken up triathlon to keep busy.
Nat Severino (they/them)
@sevstrides
Nat grew up playing sports and began running more consistently during COVID. What started as a meditative, solo practice gradually evolved into finding a community through running with Queer Run Club. With a background in Kinesiology and Sport Management, they value mobility and strength training as components of balanced, sustainable running.
Nat is passionate about creating equitable access to sport and physical activity, recognizing that while staying active is important, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. They are committed to making sport more accessible for those who wish to participate, both through their professional work and volunteer endeavours. Running within Toronto’s community, especially in queer spaces, energizes them and provides a space where they can show up authentically and make meaningful connections. Outside of running, Nat enjoys playing basketball, watching hockey, seeking out live music or sports, a buttery croissant, trying new things, and a good yap session with friends.
Raha Mahmoudi (she/her)
@rahizzle
Raha Mahmoudi is a do-it-yourself enthusiast, urban critter admirer, community gardener, seasonal knitter, and sunshine seeker. After some time on the East Coast, she’s back in her hometown of Toronto rediscovering the city through walks and good food, and she’s most grateful for the everyday acts of care she gets to experience as a daughter, friend, and neighbour.
Raha has a background in public health and works in anti-racist health education and research. You can find Raha tending to her houseplants and new betta fish, slow crafting, spending time at the public library, and training for the pride & remembrance run (her first 5K).
Rosa Cantiller (she/her)
@rcantilleradventures
Rosa has participated in the pride & remembrance run with her brother since 2016, and is excited to participate for the first time as an ambassador and a member of the queer community. As a back-of-the-pack runner, she is a huge advocate for inclusive pacing and body representation in running.
Rosa is a community run lead with the lululemon QSW Run Crew, where she's been a member since 2014, and also runs with Piccolo Run Club and Sunday Pace. In 2024, she also founded the QSW Walk Crew, which continues to meet and walk every Wednesday at 7pm from the lululemon Queen Street store. The QSW Walk Crew and teams up with Kardia - Toronto's first women-lead non-brand run crew - to provide walk support for their monthly social Wednesday run.
When she's not running/walking/cheering, she's devouring books, movies, coffee, chocolate, cuddles from her rabbit Hugo, and adding to her Toronto street poo art series PooPeriod.
Simao Pires (he/him)
@simaopires
Simao is a chef by trade, host by nature, and beyond excited to be one of the 2026 pride & remembrance run ambassadors!
If he’s not in the kitchen whipping up something tasty, he’s probably planning a chill hangout with friends, exploring the city, or running through a park with a good playlist. He loves good vibes, a good night out, deep laughs, and making new friends.
Simao got into running in 2023 with three simple goals: to make friends, to live a healthier life, and to help manage his anxiety. Through running, he was fortunate to find all of that, and more. He’s thrilled to be part of the pride run team, and to contribute even more to our community.
Nat Wilson (she/her)
@natwils.on
Nat is the CEO of Point Blank, the first fully unionized creative agency in Canada, known for their boundary pushing, values-based and internationally award-winning work. Nat also sits on the board of Queer Momentum, a national queer and trans advocacy organization. Her favourite run is a very speedy and competitive 5K, but she's signed up for two longer distance races this year–mostly to keep up with Shannon.
Shannon and Nat are married and share their extremely busy lives with two busy kids. Running is one of the ways they find rare slices of time together, and one of the many ways they push each other to prioritize long-term health, staying strong while ageing and setting goals.
This is their third time running the pride & remembrance run, including once each before they met. Shannon and Nat are thrilled to be race ambassadors for the 30th anniversary and bring their enthusiasm for running and community-building to pride & remembrance!
Shannon Devine (she/her)
@shannon.devine
Shannon is the Executive Director of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council. She has worked in the labour movement for 20 years in Toronto, including co-chairing the United Steelworkers union’s national Steel Pride committee and network of members across Canada. Shannon’s favourite distance is a half marathon and has run approximately 40 of them and three marathons. She swears she will run another marathon one day, but only if it’s very far away and Nat is by her side for the travels.