27 Sep Together they outran anxiety
I recently completed the Good Vibes Run, choosing the Colourful River route. I had the privilege to walk with a group of people who had, or are dealing with mental health issues.
One lady in particular touched my heart. We arrived at the meeting point and she shared with me she would need a minute before we started. She sat quietly by herself, and I could see she was doing some deep breathing exercises to calm her nerves. Then we started, she was both nervous and excited. Along the walk she shared with me some of her struggles. This time last year she was not able to leave her house – she tried every day for six months but each time her anxiety took hold preventing her from exiting.
She continued to tell me it was a huge win to just be outside. We needed to stop a few times along the way as a few things raised her anxiety levels. I learned she had never walked more than 2km in a row before, so for her 5km was a real challenge. As we walked, we took in the beautiful sights that Singapore had to offer, things I had taken for granted.
We enjoyed the audio provided by the MyRaceGate app. We laughed at the silly jokes that were told,.we had the best time. When the app told us we had 500m to go, her face lit up. She said “I didn’t think I could do it, but I did! I am so proud, this is a huge victory for me, both mentally and physically.”
We finished the 5km walk with huge grins on our face. It was a great win! You don’t need to finish first to be a winner. We are all winners. This lady in particular won in so many ways.
I am delighted that I could share this victory with her, this is an experience I will always remember.
