Today I heard some devastating news. One of my friends and beloved member of the Running Room community suffered an unexpected and rather traumatic medical condition. Please note I'm being intentionally vague for the sake of his privacy. Thankfully, he's stable and recovering at one of our local hospitals. Paul provided me permission to write about our visit today. Before I continue, I just wanted to write a few things about Paul (aka Technical RunNerd). I met him at RR last year. I didn't know him as well as some of my friends, but I quickly learned why he's so likeable. He taught a session at one of our clinics about the biomechanics of running. He's run plenty of races and likely earned his weight in medals. He also blogs at PaulRadcliffe.ca. When he came out for Sunday runs, he was always smiling. In fact, for last year's Mississauga Marathon, he ran in that Superman costume with hopes to give racers a reason to smile. Paul also "keeps it real" when talking about running in fitness. While many of us (myself included) will mostly put "highlight reels" of running onto our social media accounts, Paul refreshingly writes honest reflections and possibly the "ugly" side of running and exercising. Because of this, I think he's one of the most authentic athletes I've had the pleasure to meet. He's also a new dad, an engineer, a giving fundraiser for the community and an all-around fun and wholesome guy who you want to be your friend :) So when I heard of the news, I wanted to make sure that I was part of any efforts to put a smile on his face. Monika told us he's at the point in his recovery where visitors are welcome. Lax, Amar, Drew, Monika and I rallied to meet him. We also met two of his friends , Theo and Alice, from previous clinic seasons. When you walk into Paul's room, you see a true testament of how many people love and support him. You see all sorts of supportive decor, greeting cards, and photos. Paul of course greets us with a smile on his face. Can I just say how amazing my friends are? They shared their own stories about their loved ones. We inspired each other to believe in miracles and to stay hopeful. Paul shares his story and from the sounds of it, he's a true survivor of the whole 9 yards. He reminds us of his sense of humour when he says, "I compare myself to my 4 month old daughter" with reference to moving extremities and "relearning to walk". Hey, from an SLP perspective, at least you've got a one-up in the speech and language milestones ;) I won't say more about the visit because I'm sure this is deeply personal to Paul and his family. But I will share this - the support and the togetherness of this community doesn't fail to inspire me. Paul, you embody everything I admire as a runner and now, as a fighter. Your resilience and ability to get through any tough race/distance inspires me. I hope we lifted your spirits and in the same way you lifted us. I hope you'll harness the same energy and strength from marathons in the "marathon of recovery" and rehabilitation. We will be here for you and perhaps offer you a figurative "running gel" or "electrolyte" that you need when the going gets tough. get well soon, technical runnerd!
2 Comments
3/14/2019 08:46:46 am
This is just lovely Jestine. Thank you for sharing this. I sometimes don't know how much I've touched other people or how they see me.
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Jestine
3/14/2019 05:36:35 pm
Noted and edited :) I hope this sheds a bit of light on how much you've made a difference in the community!
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