Celebrating International Women’s day
To celebrate International Women’s day, we caught up with two inspirational female Run Leaders Kate and Danielle.They explain why they chose to become a Run Leader, what they love about being a Run Leader and memorable experience of being a Run Leader.
These women are just a few of many women in our sport who continue to inspire hundreds of people every day – keep up the great work ladies!
Danielle's story
What made you become a Run Leader?
I never enjoyed running when I was younger! I actively tried to avoid things like cross country so when I completed the Couch to 5k and started increasing my distance, a lot of people I know (fellow cross country haters!) would ask for advice on how they could get started. I realised that a lot of others, especially women, struggled to get started on their own and I wanted to support them. I figured if I could do it, so could they. The opportunity came up to do the Leadership in Running Fitness Course and set up a local group and well, the rest is history!
What do you love about being a Run Leader?
My absolute favourite thing is working with beginners. I remember how I felt at every stage of the Couch to 5k programme and I know it’s not easy. When a group completes a 10 minute solid run for the first time, I like to remind them that only a few weeks before they were struggling to run for just 60 seconds. It’s really rewarding to see how quickly they progress.
As a beginner, when you’re in the moment, it’s sometimes difficult to recognise your achievement. As a leader I love when I see someone take pride in what they’re achieving. Being a Leader is a real honour, I get to meet and get to know so many different people I wouldn’t have otherwise come across and a lot of those women have become great friends.
Which woman in sport inspires you?
I’m inspired by my friend and absolute legend, Laura Bird. She’s competed in SAS:Who Dares Wins, completed an Ironman, ran 10 marathons in 10 consecutive days and I have no doubt is currently planning her next challenge. She is the most mentally resilient person that I know and will always be the loudest person cheering others on around her.
What memorable experiences have you had with being a Run Leader?
There have been so many memorable moments in my 5 years as a Run Leader. It’s always a great day when a beginner's group completes their first 5k or any of our runners hit a major milestone. I also really love when our beginner graduates go on to become leaders themselves.
I remember one lady who when we first met told me that she wanted to do the beginner's course so that she could keep up with her daughter at Junior Parkrun (a great goal to have!) but at the end of the course, she came back to me and said she’d actually lied about her motives. The real reason she wanted to get into running was that she had been struggling with postpartum depression and she hoped that exercise could help her feel like herself again. She finished the beginner's programme, not only was she able to run Junior parkrun with her daughter, she was also elated that she was no longer dependent on medication.
What do you consider your biggest achievement?
My biggest sporting achievement is planting the seed for the Let’s Run Girls community and supporting it to grow. The success is that we have 10 different groups running across the county and I don’t have to lead any of them.
Kate's story
What made you become a Run Leader?
I’ve been a Run Leader for 6 years; I started running with a small group of friends, but there were plenty of others who wanted to run with us but said they felt they couldn’t, or didn’t have the confidence to run. Along with 3 friends I decided to train to be a Run Leader so that we could share our enthusiasm, encourage others to try running for the first time and have the skills and confidence to lead beginners in their running journey.e way.
What do you love about being a Run Leader?
I love being a Run Leader because I have the confidence to guide others in a safe and friendly way, and I get to meet so many different people with whom I can share my love of running. I love the responsibility of choosing a route, or planning a session, and the challenge of making them interesting, inclusive and most importantly, fun.
Which woman in sport inspires you?
I am inspired by five-time Olympian Jo Pavey, a busy mum who juggled the demands of bringing up two young children with her training schedule, going on to win gold at the 10,000m European Championships, just 10 months after having her second child.
What memorable experiences have you had with being a Run Leader?
My most memorable experience was taking my first beginner's group to take part in a local event – a small group of utterly terrified ladies who were convinced that they wouldn’t be able to complete the 3k event. We ran together as a group, we talked all the way round, and we crossed the line together, all of us in tears. It still brings me out in goosebumps now! At the end, those women hugged and they cheered and they believed in themselves, some for the first time in a long time. I will never forget that feeling of pride, reward and togetherness.
I’m really proud to help empower others to achieve their goals or simply to be able to take time out in a safe and active way. But for me, being a Run Leader is more about the people within my group, people forming friendships within the RunTogether community, a feeling of connection and enabling that sense of togetherness.
What do you consider your biggest achievement?
My biggest sporting achievement was bringing together over 200 people to take part in a 5k Race for Life event; from beginners to experienced runners, they all ran together, putting aside any personal goals and all running for a common goal, supporting and encouraging each other along the way.