5K Your Way - Empowering people impacted by cancer

Posted: Sat, 4 Feb 2023 09:00

5K Your Way - Empowering people impacted by cancer

On the last Saturday of every month, 5k Your Way comes to 85 parkruns around the UK and Ireland. They wear blue, participants do 5k in their own way, whether that be walking, jogging, running, cheering or volunteering. Everyone tends to go for a coffee and catch up after, creating a really strong sense of connection and community.

Anyone affected by cancer is welcome to take part in 5K Your Way. Participants include those living with or beyond cancer, family, friends, those that have lost a loved one to cancer and health care professionals. Every group is led by at least one volunteer 5K Your Way Ambassador, who acts as the focal point for the group.

Georgie Freeman, the 5k Your Way Operational Manager, explains a bit about the initiative and how this special project is changing lives:

"The 5K Your Way initiative is run by the charity MOVE and was launched in 2018- a project which aims to promote participation in parkrun across the UK and Ireland by those living with, and impacted by, cancer.

Our mission is to create a supportive community that inspires and empowers people impacted by cancer to live an active and fulfilling lifestyle. We help people to find their way to Move Against Cancer.

At 5k Your Way, we encourage people to focus on what they CAN do. We want to give people the confidence to go out and be physically active and to feel the benefits of exercise both physically and mentally.

Each group is led by a volunteer ambassador, who is instrumental in building the local 5K Your Way community."

5k Your Way participants come from all walks of life, and include Karen who started parkrunning nine years ago:

"My introduction to parkrun was in April 2014 when my husband, Bob, took me along to Yeovil Montacute as they were looking for volunteers. I was not a runner but soon found myself becoming part of the regular volunteer team. I couldn't have predicted what a great positive experience this would be.

Volunteering at parkrun has been great for both my physical and mental health. I've never been sporty or inclined to do anything like running, especially since being diagnosed with oral cancer in 2006.

Being part of the parkrun community, including becoming a member of the core team for Yeovil Montacute in 2018, helped to improve my confidence and also inspired me to get fitter and even to start my own running journey during lockdown. It's also made me step out of my comfort zone on more than one occasion, including being interviewed for a podcast and video."

Georgie, the 5k Your Way Operational Manager, goes on to say:

"I love my job because I get to work with so many amazing people from all different walks of life who are impacted by cancer. They are going through the worst time in their lives but, somehow, every single one of them manage to find their own way to Move Against Cancer; physically, mentally and metaphorically.

Every time I hear about someone from our community doing this, I feel so proud of what we're doing. I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, doing the behind the scenes work for 5k Your Way, but all of this is so worth it when you hear about how parkrun and 5k Your Way has made a difference to all involved.

The work we do changes perceptions, changes everyday behaviour and really does change people's lives".

On World Cancer Day, and always, parkrun and 5K Your Way are committed to supporting people who have been impacted by cancer.

Source and Image: parkrun

Tags: News, Public, Running, Walking, parkrun