Living Adventurously
Avsnitt

Volunteering is Not Only Giving Something Back, it's Doing Something for Yourself. Living Adventurously 59

Living Adventurously
Dela

Paul Sinton-Hewitt is the founder of Parkrun, the worldwide phenomenon that sees thousands rock up to local parks around the world every Saturday morning to run a timed 5k. Parkrun is a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience where there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along, whether you walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate.

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY Outdoors Rocks, a well-curated collection of outdoor and adventure movies, from mountain biking to kayaking, extreme skiing to climbing the biggest mountains. Outdoorsrocks.com is the hub for outdoor video content.

(If your company or organisation is interested in sponsoring Living Adventurously, please get in touch!)


PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIVING ADVENTUROUSLY PODCAST

(It’s completely free, zero hassle to do (click here), but very helpful for me. If you’re feeling extra kind, please leave a review on the app – that really helps.)

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn (“Alexa, please play the Living Adventurously podcast”) or on your favourite podcast platform such as Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Castro.

SHOW NOTES

  • If you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a "coffee" here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreys
  • Keep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/newsletters
  • Say hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreys
  • ParkRun: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/
  • https://twitter.com/paulsintonhewit
  • People have even run ParkRun in Antarctica
  • Don't pay a great deal of attention to the figures of ParkRun because it's never really been about the figures.
  • Ambitious to have a ParkRun in every village
  • Motivation has moved towards health and well-being more than sheer running
  • Darren Wood has run almost 800 ParkRuns
  • A few thousand people have done 250 runs
  • Volunteering is not giving something back, it's doing something for yourself
  • When you volunteer you come away energised and feel great
  • The average time for ParkRun is going up - more people are getting involved
  • Trying to take away the barriers so that everyone can get involved
  • 5km for someone who has never done a 5km feels huge. Once you've done it, your perspective changes.
  • For many people ParkRun is the one highlight of their week. They operate on Xmas Day because some people are very lonely that day.
  • Paul began ParkRun at a time when his own life was not going very well. He wanted people to not only run, but mostly join him for coffee afterwards.
  • 13 runners on the first day.
  • 2 prizes that day - for the fastest and for the slowest
  • ParkRun is not a race. It can be a race against yourself.
  • There were volunteers on the first day, so that has been a core part of it ever since. 
  • First ParkRun was at Bushey Park in London
  • He needed community to help his own life - it was a key part of that first event
  • The social communion is vital to ParkRun
  • A well-functioning team can get almost anything done.
  • You don't have to be competent yourself - surround yourself with good people.
  • The first step is the hardest, the decision that "I am going to do this no matter what"
  • In the first 10 years there were many times when he questioned whether it was worth it
  • There are times when you know that what you are standing for is good and proper.
  • Sleeping under the stars - a simple, lovely idea, but there is a lot of resistance. 
  • Paul slept outside his van throughout a tour round France. Loved it.
  • If I planned to create what we've got today I would have failed. 
  • ParkRun has been a step at a time affair.
  • It started gently, under the radar, so he could make mistakes and learn from them
  • Malala - https://malala.org/malalas-story
  • Greta - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrtLsQbaok
  • You've got to try and live every single day to the fullest - embrace the opportunities that exist and be as happy as you can about everything
  • Very early on I realised my own limitations. I am a generalist. I need specialists around me. 
  • Brought in experts to ParkRun - handed over control of ParkRun UK and then worldwide. Feelings of immense loss.
  • The handover period was unpleasant and uncomfortable, but he knew that the right things were happening.
  • Difference between being inclusive and actively targeting under-represented groups. ParkRun targets disadvantaged communities deliberately and tries to draw people out.
  • ParkRun takes place in prisons
  • Behavioural Insights: things need to be Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely.
  • Everyone is welcome to ParkRun
  • I was not looking for monumental growth. Began with 13. When it got to 100, Paul thought "oh my god!"
  • Didn't ask anyone's permission to begin
  • Good decision in life - try to understand yourself. Be honest about your weaknesses. Then be honest to those you love about your weaknesses. 

★ Support this podcast ★

Rss Apple Podcaster
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör Alastair Humphreys. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Alastair Humphreys och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.