Story by Jeffrey
I laced up my running shoes for the first time on October 2nd, 2015. At the time I needed it to get out, to have time to think, time to take care of me and my mental health. A 5 min run turned into 10 min, then 15 and so on. With physical movement i found the mental movement and started therapy. After running my first half marathn in 2016 i found a sense of healing and of purpose and I wanted others to experience this feeling.
I learned how lucky I am that I get to move in this way and wanted to share this with others. I enjoy that I get to move, left foot, right foot and repeat.
It can be me time or time with my community. Its my space to check in with my thoughts, heart and mind, it’s my time to listen and learn. To my thoughts, my body, a podcast or just listen to my favourite Beyoncé Playlist. Its my space to create or simply be. I love greeting other runners while out, give the a smile, a nod or a wave. If there is a space for kindness, i will share kindness.
Challenging yet beautiful that I get to decide what my goal for the day is. Simply movement or pushing and defying new limits and levels.
The running community taught me that I am not alone and that I don’t have to do things alone, It’s ok to ask for help and advice. It’s a community where everyone is for one another, cheering another on – EVERYONE. If you are not running, you are cheering, supporting and showing love and support. You can be yourself, show up for yourself. We all have our stories, our worries and our strengths. If we share we empower ourselves and others.