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Meet this week’s Teacher Feature…

Mary’s Story…

“Running is about finding your inner peace, and so is a life well lived.” 
Dean Karnazes 

The above quote literally sums up what running means to me; it has become my peace. I remember growing up and dreading the thought of our weekly PE lessons which consisted of having to run 2k. You see, I was overweight and clearly unfit. 

Years later I found a love for gym and became a fanatic, this led to a huge improvement regarding my fitness level! I would often run on the treadmill for at least 5 minutes. This was something I enjoyed but for no longer than 5 minutes.

Then COVID hit and the gym was closed, I found myself sinking into a very dark place. Fitness is like therapy to me, a chance to set goals and smash them! So you can only imagine the toil it had on my mental health once the gyms closed. 

Last year I remember having to call an ambulance for my poorly father who became extremely sick. Within two days he was in a coma. Each day the doctors would call and tell my family to prepare for the worst! I felt helpless all I had was my faith but this time I needed the gym even more than ever.

One morning, I decided to go for a run. I remember starting off and feeling like I wanted to go back home but I knew I had to keep going. My first run consisted of 6km. The next day, I decided to try again and again…

 The feeling that I got from running was priceless, an out of body experience. Even though my world was falling apart, running and my faith became my therapy and also the remedy to cure my sadness and sorrow that I faced during this adversity. 

 My dad always praised me for my consistency in the gym. So each time I went for a run I pictured him and before I knew it I was addicted! My father was in a coma for over 6 months but during those 6 months it was the running that kept me going and gave me the strength I needed to endure. Even after my father returned home, I continued with the running and also told him about my new-found hobby!  

Running is more than the physical elements it provides your body with, it’s about peace and having time to reflect, rejuvenate and push your body. You always feel accomplished after a run so why wouldn’t you want to do it!

Since finding the running community on twitter I feel like I have found my tribe, people who like me have a love for running in the blissful outside! 

Click the link bellow to follow Mary’s running journey on Twitter!!!