Phebe’s Journey Comes Full Circle at the Superhero Run

September 21, 2026

Phebe’s Journey Comes Full Circle at the Superhero Run

Annual event moves to Heartland Forest in Niagara Falls for the first time on Saturday, Oct. 3 

St. Catharines, ON – For Page Olsen and Scott Ebert, the journey to help their daughter reach her potential has been filled with determination, support and plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Their daughter, Phebe, was diagnosed with a rare condition known as Sotos syndrome at just six months old and began receiving services at Niagara Children’s Centre shortly thereafter. Today, the social girl from Thorold enjoys being outside, spending time with others and trying new things.

Now nearly four years old, Phebe has accessed a range of services at the Centre, including speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. She also attends the Centre school, where she continues to learn and grow with support from her therapy and education teams.

For Page and Scott, the impact of those services extends well beyond the therapy room.

When Phebe was younger, her family made frequent trips to the Centre to support her development. Her mother shared that access to publicly funded services made a significant difference for their family, allowing them to focus on helping Phebe reach important milestones.

“We were coming [to the Centre] almost four times a week when she was younger,” she said. “We were lucky that we were able to have Scott stay home with her, especially at such a crucial time when we needed her to get all those therapies done, so she could be at the level of her physical development, speech and everything that she is now.”

That experience has inspired the family to give back. This year marks their third time participating in the Superhero Run as Team Queen Phebe, but their support for the Centre doesn’t stop when the event is over.

Olsen keeps a donation box at work throughout the year, collecting contributions for the Centre whenever she can.

“I just want to raise as much money as I can because I know that the Children’s Centre is a nonprofit and every dollar counts,” she said. “The more money that’s raised for the Children’s Centre, the more programs [the Centre] can offer.”

The family has seen the impact of community support firsthand through Phebe’s participation in the Centre’s behaviour support program and recreational activities, including access to its heated, accessible pool.

“That’s where fundraising money hopefully goes, is to programs like that,” Olsen said. “That’s huge. That’s a big service to be able to offer.”

Now, Phebe and her family are getting ready to put on their capes once again as the Superhero Run takes a major leap into new territory.

For the first time in its 12-year history, the event will take place at Heartland Forest in Niagara Falls on Saturday, Oct. 3. In another first, Heartland Forest will close its trails for the event, allowing participants to experience its accessible trails in a new way.

The Superhero Run is expected to bring hundreds of participants, volunteers, sponsors and community members together to celebrate children of all abilities and raise funds for Niagara Children’s Centre.

“Phebe’s story is a wonderful example of the difference that access to the right support can make in a child’s life,” said Noella Klawitter, CEO, Niagara Children’s Centre. “We are incredibly grateful to families like Phebe’s who not only rely on the Centre’s services but choose to give back and help create opportunities for other children and families across Niagara.”

Participants can run, walk or roll up to five kilometres through the trails or participate in a family activity course featuring superhero-themed activities along the way. The event will offer opportunities for participants of all ages and abilities to take part, cheer each other on and experience Heartland Forest together.

For Phebe’s family, supporting the Centre is about making sure that it is there for families throughout Niagara, whether they need it today or someday in the future.

“A lot of people don’t know that they’re going to need the services here,” Page said. “You never know if you need a service here. It’s really setting up our future, essentially.”

The Superhero Run, presented by The Viola-Salter Group, a division of Scotia Wealth Management, is one of Niagara Children’s Centre’s signature fundraising events. Since its launch, the event has raised more than $1 million to support children, youth and families across Niagara.

Registration is open now at NiagaraSuperheroRun.ca.

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About Niagara Children’s Centre:
Niagara Children’s Centre provides rehabilitation and child development services to more than 6,200 children and youth each year across the Niagara Region with physical, developmental and communicative delays. The range of services includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language services, augmentative and alternative communication, family services and therapeutic recreation.

For further information contact:
Michael Morrison, Marketing & Communications Officer
Phone: 905-688-1890 ext 260
Email: michael.morrison@niagarachildrenscentre.com

Photo caption:

Cover: Phebe is pictured with her parents, Scott Ebert and Page Olsen, at Niagara Children’s Centre as they prepare to participate in the Superhero Run in support of the Centre. 

Footer: Phebe interacting with superheroes at last year's Superhero Run at Brock University on Saturday, Oct. 4.