MEMBER STORY - Will

With last Sunday marking possibly my sixth run with the group. I thought now might be as good as time as any to share a little bit about myself.

I’ve been in recovery now for over six years and have the privilege of working in the AOD & MH sector. (Alcohol & Other Drug & Mental Health)

My journey with running began in October last year. Up until that point I believed that due to my weight being more than over 120kg, running was not an option for me.

My wife suggested I try the couch to 5k app. The app was absolutely brilliant, It allowed me to build up confidence in small bight size runs. The secret to its success was focusing on interval running, the run walk run concept.

What started as running only 100 meters or so then walking, quickly grew. My endurance and fitness improved without injury, due to the magic of interval training. Then finally in late December I cracked 5km straight. I continued my routine of 3 runs per week, alternating between intervals and straight runs and the consistency paid off last week, where i finally hit the 10km mark.

The impact running has had on my mental and physical health is phenomenal. I have lost around 8kg so far, old behaviours such as impulse shopping, and binge eating have ceased. My mental health is a lot more balanced, including a much more positive attitude towards my body image. Overall, I have experienced a big increase in my self-worth and self-esteem, which has contributed to strengthening my AOD & MH recovery journey.

What I love about the Run into Recovery group, is that I get to share my newfound love of running with other like-minded individuals that are also on their own journey with recovery or

have felt the impacts of addiction in other ways such as with a loved one, or from working in the sector. Plus, there’s no pressure to run on some occasions with the group I have walked with other members, chatting all things life and recovery.

Lastly, I would just like to thank Benn Veenker for founding and facilitating this group, you are a beautiful human being my friend.

If you haven’t attended yet, don’t be a stranger and come on down. We’re a super warm and welcoming group and would love to share our Sunday mornings with you!

Much love and gratitude,

Will