Why I ran the #Whereswally fun run – with zero training

25 Mar Why I ran the #Whereswally fun run – with zero training

I haven’t run in years. Really run. Yes, I’ve dabbled here and there but nothing consistent since I injured my knee 4 years ago while training for the Tough Mudder. So, it would sound crazy when I announced that I was going to run the Where’s Wally 5K fun run to raise money for the National Literacy Trust, right?

It is known that there is a correlation between literacy and academic and workplace success. When I read stats like 1 in 7 children in the UK does not have a book of their own at home, I think about how fortunate I was to grow up in a house filled with books. I have always loved reading. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of books, being sandwiched between parents or grandparents at bedtime, eagerly anticipating the next adventure before falling into a deep slumber.

I’ve carried that tradition into my own home and was proud to see that from a young age my older child would choose a book over a toy any day. As he grew older though his reading habits changed and he became less interested in books and more entranced by technology. (Not that tech is a bad thing!)

I thought that it would be great if he and I could set a goal and run Where’s Wally, our first race together, to support literacy in over 100,000 children. Perhaps I wasn’t convincing enough, or maybe I pushed too much. Because, in true form, he resisted all my efforts and flat out refused to join me. I stuck with my plan though, signed up and ran the race and would like to think that as he was cheering me on at the finish line I made enough of an impression that he’ll run alongside me next year.

So why did I run the #Whereswally fun run? To make a difference.