Meet the R4R Runners #45

Clare

Welcome to the 45th edition of the Meet the R4R Runners. This week, we get to meet Clare. If you haven’t seen Clare at a run, you might have seen her on substack. She’s one of many runners turned writers who are writing for resilience, and it’s great to read her perspective on things.

I truly believe that writing is the next frontier for mental health and it’s awesome to see great people like Clare at the forefront of it! So, without further ado, let’s meet Clare!

What is your name?   

Clare Carey

Where are you from? 

Canberra born and bred

What's your favourite thing about Canberra? (apart from R4R obviously) 

Autumn, specifically the balloon festival, the abundance of mountains and space and that nowhere is really too far away. The perfect balance between big city and country town.

How did you hear about R4R and when did you first attend? 

Benny A through his substack and hijacking his comment section. I first rocked up on the 28th of September with my friend Andrew. The first time for both of us to run 6km (since participating in tough mudder pre 2017)

What's your favourite thing about R4R?

R4R has built a safe, supportive, vibrant community, promoting connection and physical activity which are key factors in managing mental health.

We're coming up on our 3rd birthday soon, do you have any ideas on what we should do before we turn 4?

I love frocking up, so I think a R4R Gala Ball would be really fun.

What's the longest you've ever run? 

I have completed 3 tough mudders which were around 21km in length and an 11km obstacle race, but I did them more for the challenge of the obstacles and being with my friends than I did the running.  I ran a park run in QLD 3 weeks beforehand my first R4R, I dabbled in some 5km runs during the 2021 lockdown to vary/increase the intensity of my cardio training.

Are you planning on taking part in any races or events soon or are there any just gone?

I'm looking forward to getting back to R4R when my Asthma is back under control, for me running isn't something I love or particularly enjoy so turning up to run 6km each week is an achievement in itself. I have been competing in Olympic Weightlifting for 10 years and have recently signed up for a CrossFit Competition on the 3rd of Dec to be a partner for a very keen 17 year old who has, despite being in several Olympic Lifting Competitions, is yet to make her CrossFit Competition debut. 

Which three people (alive or dead) would you like to run 6km with?

I can't talk and run at the same time, I'm usually flat out trying to breathe and run at the same time haha. Let's run and have a chat once I've got my breath back haha. 

What does resilience mean to you?

Resilience is surviving, learning, loving, caring and growing. It's not wanting to choose hard, but choosing hard anyway or sometimes hard is the only choice you have. Resilience is embracing yourself, your life and vulnerabilities to live with purpose and to your values. 

When you look back on the hardest moment/s in your life, is there anything you wish you could have told yourself? 

To the teenage me who was bullied by once friends in highschool, who struggled to find her fit, who would fake headaches so that she didn't have to get up in front of the class because she had no confidence and worried people would laugh at her or judge her. I would like to tell you (and the readers of this blog) one of the biggest things I have learned: "It's not about you". Everyone is fighting a battle that we know nothing about, this does not excuse their behaviour but it helps you understand why people are the way they are. We are shaped by our experiences, we learn how to treat others based on how we are treated. I believe sharing our raw, real life stories are the best stories there are to tell. Make life your own blockbuster movie, because you're living it. 

Unreal, Clare! Thank you.