Growing up with community sport

This week in Participate World ...

As a child I was fortunate that I got to travel all over the world. As we followed my Dad’s academic career, we lived in Tanzania for a couple of years when I was very small, we travelled around India, and we spent a lot of time in east Africa, including over a four year period where he lived with Masai in Kenya.

Importantly, wherever we found ourselves we were embedded within local communities, living with local people, and experiencing local cultures first hand. It was a formative period of my life, has instilled within me a deep-rooted belief that the vast majority of people the world over are inherently good, and given me the knowledge that we have far more in common than that which divides us.

During my time at parkrun, these beliefs were reinforced time and time again when I spent time with and in communities across the UK and around the world, a journey that introduced me to the most incredible people wherever I went.

It’s super exciting therefore that during this next period of life, Chris Lomax MBE and I share this same belief system and feel equally inspired to contribute to the world through community sport’s ability to bring people together.

Recently I was fortunate enough to share a conversation with Alex Fallon as he looks to develop his wonderful walking concept (www.walkingtheblock.com) across Canada and the World. And I think if there’s anything I’ve learned in nearly 30 years studying, teaching, and working across sport and exercise science, it’s that far too often it’s overcomplicated and misunderstood.

We encourage people to follow complex exercise regimes, achieve arbitrary step counts, or hit certain heart rates, whereas in reality just getting out the door for a walk (ideally with someone else) is just about the best action you can initiate to improve your health and wellbeing.

Next week I’m back to Abu Dhabi, where we’re fortunate enough to be supporting their already brilliant work in developing community sport. Then it’s back to the UK to continue our support of amazing initiatives such as MOVE Against Cancer Charity and This Woman Runs.

📷 This week's photo is me and my mates on my 4th birthday (I think) 🎂