On the 21st July me and my boyfriend Matt will be completing the National Lottery Anniversary Run 2013 which will be 5 miles long yes I repeat me and Matt run. Anyone who knows me well knows running well isn’t my forte shall we say. I’ve decided to write this blog to explain why the charities we’ve chosen mean so much to us and hopefully maybe if you are kind enough to maybe sponsor us even if it’s just a small amount it would mean so much to us.
Growing up as a child P.E was never my forte, I was very un-coordinated and un balanced and being really tall didn’t exactly help too. Something which I really struggled with was running, I looked like an un-coordinated duck flapping waiting for take off. I was always the person when we had to do cross country I was always the last to finish and miles behind everyone else to finish when we had to do athletics. Running is still something which I don’t particularly enjoy there’s many more things which I’d much prefer to do instead of it and I still probably run in quite an un-coordinated style. This is one of the reasons we have decided to do this run to show to other people whatever you struggle with in life you should never let it hold you back, this run will be pretty demanding for me and quite difficult but I’m determined to do it, so many people with dyspraxia think oh I’m dyspraxic I can’t do any sport. If you persevere you can try at anything.
The other main reason for doing this run is to raise money for two amazing charities Dyslexia Action and The Dyspraxia Foundation. When I was a little girl my mum went to the first ever Dyspraxia Foundation conference which was held in Lytham St Annes she was completely clueless about the condition and had been told at my primary school that she was a nagging mother and they didn’t understand her when she asked for support for me at school. The Dyspraxia Foundation gave my mum and dad a lot of help and advice, dyspraxia is still unfortunately not very well known amongst the area of special needs. A lot of people have probably heard of the name but don’t know what it entails. Or think it’s just to do with bad handwriting and being clumsy. For a lot of people it can mean a lot more me included it can affect people socially, people can struggle with sensory overload. Recently the very hot weather was a nightmare for me too much heat. Organisation and time keeping are huge issue for a lot of people, my organisation skills or lack of have caused me and my mum a lot of anxiety over the years. I’m very grateful for the times she’s got me out of close shaves when I’ve nearly missed trains and buses. As a consequence of difficulties a lot of people get bullied and may also suffer from mental health issues. Did you know 50% of people who are un diagnosed with dyspraxia suffer from depression? In the past I’ve personally had a few negative experiences with people not understanding my dyspraxia properly or not attempting to. A lot of people don’t see the bigger picture with it and understand that people can have good and bad days. This has had a knock on effect on my mental health and anxiety levels and confidence something which is slowly growing. This is why there should me so much more awareness about dyspraxia so many children feel stupid and misunderstood. I often descrie dyspraxia as living in chaos or having your mind feeling like it’s spaghetti which can be pretty overwhelming at times. The Dyspraxia Foundation needs money to help so many people.
The second charity we are running for is Dyslexia Action, 50% of people have dyslexia and another area of sen it’s called co-mobidity. Symptoms can cross over and a lot of people can struggle with a mixed bag ranging across the conditions. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time at Dyslexia Action head quarters in Egham Surry. They do such amazing work helping so many people and families who may need support and who’s schools may not been understanding. I have found them particularly understanding when I thought I had other issues apart from my dyspraxia and I may have dyslexia too. They helped me understand why I had been experiencing some of the other issues I had been keeping a secret and too embarrassed to tell anyone. I’m now proud to learn the way I do. I didn’t feel like I was stupid anymore when I talked to them.
Both charities also promote the positive aspects of the conditions which is so so important, there may be things people struggle with but there are positives. For me having them has made me a really understanding person and empathetic, it’s made me determined and I don’t give up easily. It’s also allows me to see the bigger picture in situations both creatively and I always try and see the bigger picture about people. This is why my blog is called think out of the box as that’s what I like to do. When I’m being creative I can see things visually.
Hopefully those stories have helped highlight what amazing charities these are, I probably would have been in a lot darker place without them. If you would like to sponsor us here are the links we want to raise as much as possible:
http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Masie
Dyslexia Action page- http://www.justgiving.com/Matt-and-Rosie-Run-DA
Dyspraxia Foundation- http://www.justgiving.com/Rosie-and-Matt-Maisie
Thank you so so much it really means a lot to both of us.
Lots of love
Rosie and Matt xxx