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The Power Of Walking: In Support Of Parkwalk

WALK (verb) : to move along by putting one foot in front of the other.

I love the dictionary definition of walking because it seems to sum up 5k Your Way, especially for those who are going through their own cancer journey: “Walking helps to ease and get me through the chemo pain and putting one foot in front of the other is how I have approached treatment. Just one step at a time”. (5KYW participant).

At 5k Your Way we are passionate about walking! We are a community based initiative – run by Move Against Cancer charity – for anyone impacted by cancer. We have over 100 groups at designated parkruns across the country. We hear so much from our volunteer ambassadors and participants about the impact walking has had on them, both physically and mentally. And that’s why we’re delighted to support parkrun’s parkwalk campaign.

Some people come along and run. Some people jog. And some people, like Judith, choose to walk. “parkrun has helped me through many of life’s ups and downs and was especially important after my mastectomy last year, and this year after my recent one.  Although I did go back to running I have now reached the conclusion that walking is my way forward.  It still gives me exercise, in beautiful surroundings, fresh air and contact, and very importantly the encouragement from others, all of which are essential to getting back to normal!”

For us the most important word in 5k Your Way is your – do it your way. Jackie from the Nottingham 5KYW group explains how she’s done it her way:

A few years ago, I was in a bad place – physically and emotionally. Cancer had taken its toll and I’d lost my zest for life. I wasn’t active, I wasn’t going out much and I just didn’t feel like myself any more. Then a good friend persuaded me to give 5k Your Way a try.

At first I didn’t think I could do it so I started as a marshal at parkrun. Even though I wasn’t walking myself, I loved being part of the event and seeing others who had been impacted by cancer taking part. It gave me a reason to get out and slowly something changed as I wanted to move too. Everyone was so friendly; the camaraderie I experienced was more like being part of a loving family – but on a national level. 

I started small, walking just half a kilometre. It wasn’t easy but I kept going. Over time, I got stronger, lost over four stone in weight and built up my distance. Just over a year ago, at 76 years of age, I completed my first full 5k – on crutches! Now I walk the full distance at least once a month, whatever the weather, and I’m getting a little quicker each time.

The biggest change isn’t just physical – it’s how I feel about myself. I have more confidence now and 5k Your Way has given me back a sense of community, support and purpose. That’s why I became an ambassador for Nottingham. I want others impacted by cancer to experience what I have and help people find their own way to move”. 

Whatever level of fitness you are at and wherever you are on your cancer journey, you’ll get a warm welcome at 5k Your Way. As one of our ambassadors told us: “A parkwalker came back after many months off. He is having treatment for stage IV prostate cancer. This was the first 5k he had done for a long time and he had been building up to it”. 

Such a wonderful spirit. So what better reason than to support parkwalk? This month – and every month – let’s all try to get more walking into our daily lives. Put one foot in front of the other. We can do this!

Find your nearest 5k Your Way group here: https://www.moveagainstcancer.org/5k-your-way/

Gillian Russell is Marketing & Comms Lead for MOVE Against Cancer.