On Sunday 8th, International Women's Day Fly Girls be active walk & run group met for Sunday celebrations after our regular run, to share stories and have a healthy drink, it was cheering to all who took part in the Vitality Big Half Marathon, and a special cheers to three of our first time half marathoners.
Our first-timers are still smiling since the 1st March, they say running uplifts you and we know that buzz you get afterward. However, our team are feeling on a high for their achievements, Jackie a very easy going gentle paced runner had recently started training for the event and had a smashing time of 2hrs and 34 mins, running most of the race and walking the last 3 miles.
Sita (a founding member of our run group) has an inspirational back story of why she had started with us, despite her blisters from running this race she's very proud (and so are we) of how far she has come. Last year many of our team entered and pulled out, this year nothing was stopping them, conquering fears and other challenges, the team encouraged each other to go for it together. The group encouragement and Sita's dedication to training prior to the race helped her to go for her goal. Now an accomplished half marathon medal holder she is truly a role model for her peers, older women, Asian women, and beginner runner women.
Tenacious Tracey another of our inspirations took the roads with determination, in 2019 she had trained, put in the long distance on the treadmill (pun intended) for the Vitality Big Half, unfortunately during training she had a bad fall and pulled out. This year with less training done before the race, Tracey was good to go, knowing that she wasn't doing this for a personal best time but to do it to say "I can". Her advice to anyone who goes through tough times "in life, we fall down but we'll get up again".
Other team members are becoming regular on this race, improving their strength year by year. Whatever goals set and the outcomes for the individuals we are here to empower each other to be active and support each other.
We were glad to engage with young people at the Brent Council Each for Equal International Women's Day event and have interested secondary school girls register their interest in joining us.
A few young women where also interested in creative writing, intending to tell their own stories. The phenomenal Baroness Lola Young a key speaker at the event encouraged the audience in writing a book to make an impact to change and address issues in society.
For international women's month we've started delivering creative writing workshops in the community and noted an interest in girls/women new to writing and finding it lifted their spirits doing life writing activities on gender empowerment.
Brent, our base is the borough of cultures and this year we hope to see more writers emerge in poetry and prose to share their cultural stories in the Brent 2020 celebrations.
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