Being blind had always made working out challenging (Picture: Gareth Jones Photography)
Walking towards the start line, I was overwhelmed by the three hundred runners who were shouting words of congratulations and cheering us on.
In many ways, this Saturday was like any other as Mike and I attended our local parkrun in Southport, but there was one key difference…
Less than 24 hours before, we’d been celebrating our marriage with family and friends and today marked our first run as husband and wife. We had officially come full circle.
I first got involved with parkrun over seven years ago. It all started when I was approaching the age of 40 and decided I wanted to get fitter. However, being blind had always made working out challenging.
Going to the gym on my own felt like an impossible task – there’s a long way to go before most classes and gym coaches become accessible for blind and partially sighted people.
But, one day, during an appointment with my GP after discussing my desire to get fit, he told me about parkrun.
‘I’ve recently trained as a guide runner,’ he said, ‘why don’t you come along and I’ll run with you?’
parkrun turns 20!
This year Metro has partnered with the iconic charity parkrun to bring you a thriving new content series.
In a coming together of two game-changing powerhouses, Metro has been chosen as the first official media partner for parkrun as it celebrates its 20th birthday in 2024.
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It’s not just for the runners, though – it’s for everyone.
Come with us as we embark on a series of boundary-pushing wellbeing content designed to elevate and champion, but also to support mental health and societal cohesion. Whether you run, walk, jog or strut…
Read the stories of those who have found their calling, their community or had their lives changed through the simple act of lacing up their trainers (not that you have to do parkrun in trainers…as we’ll show you later on).
Get ready to be empowered, inspired, and energised!
Register for parkrun here. The best part is that it’s free and you only need to register once.
Having never ever run before, I was even more terrified (Picture: Kelly Barton)
Always one for a new challenge, I agreed but honestly I had no idea what I was signing myself up for.
Turning up for my very first parkrun in December 2016 was daunting. And when I learned it was a 5k, having never ever run before, I was even more terrified.
So many thoughts went through my head: ‘What if I can’t do it?’, ‘How far even is 5k?’ and ‘Do I even know how to run?’.
There was no time like the present to find out.
My GP introduced me to the man who was going to be my guide, and we set off together, with me holding his arm and …read more
Source:: Metro
