Rebecca, Couch to 5K and a new COGS Inspiration Award.
The announcement of another National Lockdown at the beginning of 2021, led to the 5th January being the day that saw many COGS getting out walking, running, doing random activities online and even moving around logs, to stay active again during Lockdown. Our COGS’ Minute Challenge was back, to try and keep everyone active if they wanted to, by recording the minutes/hours of activity during the Lockdown spell at home.
Rebecca Holloway (50) decided that she would take up the Couch 2 5K Challenge this time around and set about her first walk and run challenge on the 12th January. Rebecca’s favourite running has been running after a football so this was not going to be an easy feat but it would help a bit in the hard times.
At the start of the Minute Challenge, everyone was encouraged to record their activity every day and post it on our Facebook page so we could keep an update of how many minutes and hours we had all completed together and it encouraged people to get out and get active.
As time went by, the encouragement for each other was brilliant, especially with those who were challenging themselves to something out of their comfort zone.
Videos were posted and Rebecca posted her first video on 16th January, which started inspiring others. At this point her favourite running was STILL running after a football!
Rebecca persevered and over the following weeks pushed herself to go out in all weathers and complete the day’s challenge. She also helped a friend to get involved by repeating a few weeks so that she could help her and they had their slogan of “Make it Happen” put onto t-shirts to spur them on. After increasing the running over walking in the space of 10 weeks, Rebecca completed the Couch to 5K with a RUN of 5.04KM in 39.18 minutes on March 21st! What an achievement, which left her quite emotional, as well as red-faced and proud. Rebecca’s favourite running is still “after a football” but along the way of achieving her goal, Rebecca inspired some of our other COGS to start it too and then donated £100 to COGS for all the inspiration she received from everyone. What an incredible gesture.
After a discussion with Rebecca, we decided that we would put the donation to a new COGS Inspiration Award, which will be named the Alkira Inspiration Award (after Rebecca’s Company). The Award will be an annual recognition of one of our COGS who has inspired others throughout that year and will be awarded on our Birthday, 16th April, every year. All COGS can make a nomination and the Committee will judge a winner, to be announced on our Birthday! We are so grateful to Rebecca for this donation and look forward to seeing who our first recipient will be!
Here is Rebecca’s “Made it Happen” video. Congratulations on your achievement, Rebecca!
We love hearing inspiring stories and will continue to celebrate our inspiring COGS!