Sarah Dymock recently achieved her 100 volunteer milestone. A change in her work hours over the past year meant she didn’t have time to run but she could still be involved as a volunteer.
“I first learned about Gisborne parkrun when a friend posted about it on Facebook, it hadn’t been going too long at that stage. At that time I wasn’t working weekends and would run it. Although I knew people in Gisborne through my job, it was nice connecting with people and meeting new people elsewhere.
“I live on my own and I like getting out and joining things like parkrun. It was the people that kept me coming back.
“I don’t know how I found myself volunteering. My first role was Tail Walker in 2019, the next month I tried barcode scanning. From there, I decided to volunteer once a month.
“Later that year I put myself down for timekeeping. I’d meant to put my name down for something else instead! One of the Run Directors approached me afterwards and asked if I would like to become a Run Director. So I did.
“I like Run Directing, and I’ve been enjoying timekeeping even though I was apprehensive to start with. The app makes it so much easier than using the stopwatch. I also like barcode scanning as it helps you to learn people’s names.
“Last year my work hours changed and it meant I couldn’t run at parkrun any more, but I could still fit in volunteering.
“I get so much from parkrun and know that others do too, so volunteering was a natural choice for me.
“The day I celebrated my 100th volunteer milestone was very special. I’ve had so many lovely comments on our Facebook page and people coming up to me. They’ve meant a lot.
“I’ve noticed lately that more and more people are staying after they’ve finished and hanging around to talk. It’s got really social.
“People know my name, which is nice. They come up and thank you for volunteering.
“I’ve recently changed jobs and have my weekends back so I’m looking forward to being able to get my 100 5k milestone and to return to Run Directing also.”
Sarah Dymock
CHROMA, the LGBTQIA+ Initiative for Southland, was proud to collaborate with their local parkrun in Waihopai (Invercargill) as part of Murihiku’s first Pride Week. CHROMA’s secretary Beth Duffill-Brookes tells us more. This was a fantastic way to start Pride Week, with a beautiful spring day in Queens Park. The CHROMA team met with the…
Guest article written by Brooks. When it comes to running, we often obsess over training techniques, nutrition, and gadgets. Yet, one critical element often gets overlooked: the fit of our running shoes. The fit impacts not only foot health but also the quality of your run. Here are some tips to guide you in…
