Over the past few months, I have learned a lot about myself and about people with intellectual and physical disabilities. I realised that Running hour is more than just about running to keep healthy, it is about creating connections with new people. This service also helped me improve my fitness levels and in many ways, I have learned so much from the running buddies. Some key skills I have discovered this term is the importance of active listening and open-mindedness. I have also learned the importance of being a leader to the buddy and finding a pace which suits us both. I have definitely had some ups and downs trying to get used to the pace of running and also finding the right balance between leading my buddy and letting them go their own pace, but through this I have learned valuable lessons. Through the various conversations I had with my buddies over the weeks I learned more about them and also about how to ask the right questions to keep the conversation going.

There was one experience I had that really stuck with me. It was when I had to run with a little 10 year old boy who had just joined the organisation. Running with him helped me improve my communication with him and also his mom. I think something valuable I learned from this was the importance of making sure the parent is comfortable and also making sure that I am asking the right questions. At some points he didn’t want to run anymore and he started throwing tantrums. Here I learned the importance of being patient and also taking a step back to give him some space when he needed it. It was very gratifying towards the middle of the run when he started getting excited and happy. This was definitely one of my highlights because it showed that he was comfortable enough to run with us.

My hope for next term is to further improve my communication skills and continue to learn from amazing people in our local community with whom we don’t always get the chance to interact with. So far this has been a very memorable experience and I am looking forward to the rest of the year and the many more opportunities it will bring.