La Ronge family of doctors practice what they preach as athletes and volunteers

CBC's road trip series Land of Living Stories explores inspiring stories of community spirit from across Saskatchewan. In our latest visit, CBC-Radio Canada hit the road to La Ronge. This is the fifth of a multi-part series from that community.

Most people are slowing down in their 70s, relaxing into retirement and leisure. And one might expect that at 73, Dr. James Irvine would be slowing down too, after decades of work in family medicine and public health. 

Instead, the La Ronge doctor is still busy training for his next Ironman triathlon.

It's no small feat in a town with no swimming pool.

Over the years, he's had to get creative in his training for the 226.3-km endurance race, snowshoeing over frozen lakes, skiing, hiking and fat biking along forested trails, all while juggling continued voluntary consulting in public health. 

"It's great to deal with the day-to-day ups and downs of life," Irvine said, explaining how he was inspired to start training for an Ironman after hitting 60.

"It just makes me feel better. It's also a great way to participate and get to know other people and challenge yourself as well."

He isn't alone among the members of his family in his dedication to all forms of health.

His two sons, Jeff and Daniel, are also physicians, as are their wives. All five work in La Ronge and area, and incorporate physical activity into their everyday lives, which goes beyond their training for races like the Ironman.

Members of the family travel throughout northern communities and clinics, delivering health care. But they can also be found coaching judo at the local gymnasium, volunteering to support local ski events, working on maintaining local recreational trails and providing fat bikes at the local rink.

It wasn't always obvious that La Ronge would be where Irvine and his family would set up their lives.

He's originally from Estevan. After medical school, he and his wife spent time working in India and Papua New Guinea before the opportunity came up for him to work in La Ronge. 

"We loved La Ronge because we had come up there during university days for canoeing in the summer," he recalls. 

The couple ended up spending the next four decades there, raising their children and grandchildren in this northern community.