Meet our York 10K Fundraising Heroes - Chris
What's your fundraising story - why did you decide to raise funds for Accessible Arts & Media?
As part of my degree at York St John University I participated in the ‘Hands and Voices Choir’. For those of you that don’t know ‘Hands and Voices’ is a singing and signing choir that works with people with learning and communication difficulties. This was a really enjoyable and rewarding experience and as such Accessible Arts & Media is a cause that’s now close to my heart. So as soon as I heard, I jumped at the opportunity to get involved. I’ve also become a bit of an avid runner over the last two years.
If you had to sum up Accessible Arts & Media in three words, what words would you choose?
The three words I would use to sum up Accessible Arts & Media are:
Inclusive – bringing people together under activities every person can relate to and enjoy
Caring – being a champion for people with learning and communication difficulties, working to support their wellbeing
Bold – Developing ambitious events and performances to raise awareness and inspire the city of York
How would you describe the difference Accessible Arts & Media makes?
I believe the difference that Accessible Arts & Media makes for our city is one about unlocking potential. Potential in people to learn, to enjoy, to perform, to interact with others they otherwise might not get the opportunity to. Also the potential in people to better understand, to care for and support those who face challenges in their everyday lives.
How's your training going?
I’ve ran in quite a few 10k races this year so am feeling confident about the distance and my fitness levels. I will however be pushing myself hard as I’m keen on beating my personal best if possible.
Do you have any top training tips for others looking to run a 10K?
The 10K race is at the longer end of the ‘fast paced race’. It’s a short enough distance to run competitively the whole way round but long enough that it’s a substantial physical challenge as well. My advice when attempting to tackle a 10k would be to get out there and get into the habit of running regularly, the more you’re on your feet the more natural it will feel. For those wanting to push themselves and improve on time, factoring in interval sprints and hill sprints is a quick way of improving overall performance.
We love music here at AAM - what's the track guaranteed to get you going when you're out training?
That is a tough one, I like anything upbeat and funky when I’m exercising. If I had to choose I’d go for ‘Runaway’ by Jamiroquai, it’s in a great tempo for running!
If you'd like to support Chris and make a donation, you can visit his fundraising page.