You won’t find a film crew following around the Real Housewife of York Region to capture the minutia of life in her Glenway home, but a closer look at Courtney Gedeon reveals a mom and fashionista who is passionate about her community and connecting those who are in it.
The self-branded Real Housewife of York Region has newly founded the Newmarket Walk for Mental Health walking group. So far, four local women have come out to walk together for an hour on Thursdays and talk about whatever is on their minds.
They have already brought along non-perishable food items for donation to the Newmarket Food Pantry and are brainstorming ideas and events for ways they can pay it forward to those less fortunate in the community.
“When I had my daughter 2-½ years ago, I suffered from postpartum anxiety, I heard about postpartum depression but not this,” Gedeon said. “I thought this was all part-and-parcel of having a new baby, but it would get quite intense sometimes and I didn’t start to feel better until I found a girlfriend of mine who was going through the same thing, and as soon as we connected, it automatically felt better.”
Gedeon thought she couldn’t be the only one who felt this way. Working from home on her online sandal business Marisoles, while rewarding, was also isolating.
“There’s got to be other women out there like me,” she said. “I’m passionate about my community, I grew up here. I always feel better after a walk and so I started up the walking group to be a place where we can all connect and socialize and chit chat.”
The walking group is for the real housewives of York Region, Gedeon said. Group members come from all stages of life, and include new moms, women whose children are grown up and are off at university, and newcomers to Newmarket trying to connect.
“In my group, there are some ladies who are feeling isolated and starting to suffer from a bit of depression,” she said. “I find, truly, with mental health, the more you talk about it, the less crazy you feel because you realize how many people suffer from some sort of mood disorder, anxiety, depression, or loneliness. It’s still a bit of a taboo subject and I want to connect people and create a safe space where they can chat about it.”
“I find a lot of people talk the talk but don’t necessarily walk the walk, so I wanted to put that into motion,” Gedeon said.
This Thursday’s walk was a cold one, but friendships are forming fast.
“We get chatting and you forget about the snow and cold, and you just connect with each other and it’s really great,” Gedeon said. “These women are so great and very supportive. It goes by quickly because we get chatting and all of a sudden the walk is over. It’s been great.”
In line with her love of community, is Gedeon’s love for fashion.
She produces a Fashion Friday segment each week on her Instagram account, where she models and talks about the clothing and accessories she’s wearing. New clients are coming on board at a rapid rate with Aurora’s Style Encore as a new partner.
The walking group meets Thursdays at 9:45 a.m. at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex, 100 Eagle St. W., Newmarket. The hour-long walk routes are usually around the Glenway and Summerhill neighbourhoods.
Gedeon posts the route on social media prior to the walk and notes any charitable component for that week. A second walking group is in the works for Aurora.
All walkers receive a button that says, “The Real Housewives of York Region”, created and produced by Newmarket company Cute Button Girl.
All women are welcome to join.
For more information, email Courtney Gedeon at [email protected], and follow her on Instagram @realhousewifeofyorkregion and Facebook.
