Dave explains why he’s committed to running a half marathon to raise funds for fly2help …
“Covid’s been such a strange time for all of us in different ways. Working in aviation has been horrible, seeing so many good friends and colleagues out of work and having to turn their careers in all sorts of different directions has been painful to see – but also showed me just how resilient aviation is, we’re a group of people who rise to any challenge and fight back when things don’t go to plan.
And that’s sort of where the idea of using the lockdown wisely kicked in – Boris had been hosptialised and the messaging was clear “if you catch Covid it’s better not to be fat” and I really wasn’t thin! So I started on a diet with a lot more focus and, for pretty much the first time ever, it worked and I’ve managed to lose about 25kgs in the past year. Then I started thinking that it ‘might’ just be possible to start gently jogging and moving a bit more.
I downloaded the ‘Couch to 5K’ app and every two days the comedian Sarah Millican’s voice persuaded me to run for a minute then walk for a minute, and gradually increasing to a 5K over about three months. Before I knew it I was running 5K without having to stop for a breather – for anyone who knows me of old, that’s just impossible! And I’ve carried on, I’m now doing 10K’s and have been talked into running a half marathon in September in Windsor.
It’s an absolute revolution, I’m feeling healthier and fitter than ever, actually WANTING to run – I’m laughing writing that – and the incentive is raising money for the amazing charity fly2help, I’m over £1,500 so far, and we’ve still got over two months to go – it’s keeping me going, pounding the streets every couple of days knowing that my efforts are going to contribute just a little bit towards the work the charity does and that’s a pretty good reason to keep going!
I first got involved in fly2help about a decade ago at Filton through work, it’s a charity that has won the hearts of a huge number of people in the aviation industry, and the business aviation world particularly. I was able to help support it through my time as the CEO of The Air Charter Association and for the past three years as a Trustee and it’s an easy choice, it’s allowing a whole range of people to experience aviation for both Air Smiles Days for kids facing tough times and, for me even more importantly, Aim High courses where we’re working hard to open aviation’s career opportunities to communities who rarely consider it as an option. I’m immensely proud of fly2help and I’m hoping, with everyone’s support, we’ll be able to help even more people when I complete the half marathon!”
If you’d like to support Dave in his fantastic challenge, please click the link through to his fundraising page.