Let's meet Fordy... again!
Meet the R4R Runners Revisited #10
Welcome to the 10th edition of the Meet the R4R Runners Revisited, where we get to meet Fordy… again! Since we first met Fordy, he’s been an integral part of Running for Resilience. From his guest article, to hosting our inaugural Gala Night, to simply turning up… Fordy is one of the reasons our community is so special.
He’s also the author of the
substack and the winner of the Rugby for Resilience World Cup Fantasy competition. So, without further ado, let’s meet the great man!
How have you been?
It's been a mixed bag, after being a bit ambitious earlier this year I have just recently overcome injury which has taught me a lot about how we go about preparing for ultra events.
I probably didn't give myself enough down time after my 100 kilometre event in Kosci, and I've now learnt I've gotta be a bit more patient before jumping into the next thing.
But there has been some really good aspects, I've been overseas for the first time, I've started a podcast telling stories about others is one of my favourite things, and interviewing the world's best ultra runner has been an absolute highlight of that.
Knocked off any running events recently?
Nothing crazy recently, I actually really enjoyed an event at Mulligan's Flat Woodland Sanctuary which was a 5 kilometre event, with all the funds raised going back into conservation for the Sanctuary.
I also completed a new event called 'The Knife' which was a lot of a fun, a shorter trail event of 14 kilometres, with some nice technical climbs and a big downhill section called The Slippery Dip.
What's been your highlight in the past two years?
Really hard to go past the Ultra Trail Kosciuszko, completing a 100 kilometre race is something only a few years ago I dreamed about, I'm one of those people that loves to challenge myself, and to share that with my now fiance and some of her friends that were my crew was a really special occasion.
On another personal note it was really special to be able to MC the Gala we had the other week. It was such a spectacular occasion, and it was so nice to see everyone dressed up in something other than running clothes, I know it's only going to grow as the years go by.
You recently had Singh and Murray on your Podcast... do you want to tell us a bit about it?
They're two special guys aren't they? I felt like their Bravery Trek was so inspiring, I was actually spitting chips that I couldn't take part this year due to injury, but it involved the lads doing four marathons in four different states in 44 days for the Bravery Trust, which looks after Veterans who might not be having the best time.
There is so much wisdom in what they say throughout the podcast, if you've never had the chance to run with either of these guys, a short stroll at Running 4 Resilience could change your life.
You can check it out by simply looking for Peak2Soon on your fave podcast provider.
Your original answer to "what does resilience mean to you?" was:
"Resilience for me is when you encounter a set back and your resilience is measured by how long it takes you to bounce back from that set back."
Do you still think it is? Would you change it at all?
I feel like this answer was a little bit short sighted, because sometimes the timeline on how we bounce back from something is out of our control, whether that be due to a certain injury, or other external factors.
I think resilience is our ability to overcome adversity no matter how long it takes, so if you're going through something and it feels like it's taking a bit more time than you'd like, don't give up, because it's very likely that things will turn around.
I also think resilience can account for how we deal with difficult situations, sometimes it's not always related to something bad, we could be doing something incredibly difficult and withstanding the pressures of that.
Is there something you've learned in the past two years that has helped you comprehend your previous struggles more that might shed light for others going through something? Have you endured/overcome something in the last two years?
It's that you simply can't please everyone. In the industry I work in that can be a bit hard to take because it's an industry based on popularity, but after the breakdown of my marriage, I did a lot of things to impress other people that I now realise was absolutely ridiculous.
Binge drinking on weeknights, skipping out on things I wanted to do to catch up with others, before realising what I was doing wasn't actually making me happy.
The last two years has made me realise at the end of the day we should surround ourselves with people that make us happy, if that means your circle is smaller as a result, it's a lot healthier way of living than trying to please everyone.
How do you think we can achieve our goal of making Canberra suicide-free?
It's word of mouth I reckon.
If you look at the exponential growth that has occurred through Running 4 Resilience, to the point where we are now opening it up even further and making it more accessible with things like Strolling 4 Resilience, it's only going to reach more people.
I think of all the new faces I've seen in the last two years I've been part of R4R and I wonder what their lives might've been like had they not found the group. Admittedly, not everyone that comes to R4R is suicidal, but we've all been through some form of trauma or adversity that helps bond us together.
It's only going to keep growing as well, and then maybe that number of people that are taking their own lives, might feel comfortable enough to come along, and then one day no one is taking their life.
What a great day that will be when the ABS Data shows 0 suicide deaths in the ACT.
Unreal, Fordy. Thank you!
"What a great day that will be when the ABS Data shows 0 suicide deaths in the ACT." - A great day indeed. Can't wait.
Small circles for the win! <3 :)