Everyone has a story and this is mine.

When I was 12 years old I was hit by a car and was quite badly injured.

I woke in the hospital and was unable to feel anything down the right side of my body.

I had to learn to walk again. It was very frustrating, in my head I knew what to do but my body just didn’t react. Luckily everything returned although the muscles were weak and damaged. I had to strap my ankle and tape my knees before any sport.

I never imagined that I would start running in the future, I really just wanted to blend in with the other kids and be able to do everything they did.

Skip forward several years and I have children of my own, my boy hears an advertisement on the radio for the Sydney Blackmores Bridge Run and asks me if I would run over the bridge with him. As with every other mother I didn’t want to disappoint my child and said of course, secretly wondering if I could.

alex1

I practiced running at a small oval near my house, only when there was nobody around because I knew I was still a little uncoordinated and I felt embarrassed.

We ran the race together and I loved the energy. I loved being at the event. I had not experienced an event like this before. From that moment I guess you could say I was hooked. I looked up events, I spoke to as many people as I could to gain knowledge. I started following training plans. I realised it is all possible with the right training!

alex2

I didn’t need to strap my ankles anymore, I didn’t need to tape my knees. My muscles got stronger, I got stronger. My 10km races turned into half marathons and little by little the girl who once sat on the bed willing her leg to move was able to run the Gold Coast Marathon.

If I can do it, anyone can. It’s all training, not just your body but training your mind into believing that it possible.

alex3