E008 Julia and Jonathan parkrun 2
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 8
Date: March 22, 2022
Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guests: Julia Heyens and Jonathan Gascho
Start times and Segment Summaries:
[0:00:19] What’s On Your Mind: Sammy and John talk about a quote from John’s quote list: “History is mostly guessing, the rest is prejudice.” - Will (1885-1981) and Ariel Durant (1898-1981), American historians. The hosts express frustration in not being taught about, and not learning about residential schools in Canada and the impact on Indigenous people.
Read more about Residential Schools and Truth and Reconciliation on the University of Manitoba website: National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation – Reports page: https://nctr.ca/records/reports/#trc-reports
[0:09:26] Expanding Minds Interview: [Physical Wellness] Part 2 of our interview of Julia Heyens and Jonathan Gascho, helped bring international phenomenon parkrun to Kitchener. It’s an amazing community event.
[0:25:22] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron as the villain in a heavy metal villain and spider.
[0:29:23] Move Your Body: John and Sheila talk about our bodies being ideal for hunters and gatherers, and how they don’t lose sight of that despite technological changes in the last 100 years or so.
[0:35:10] Running Popup: John had his wellness breakthrough when he was running – when he was being physical. It didn’t happen while I was studying or writing. The significance of this point wasn’t lost on him.
[0:37:06] Flipside of the Coin: Sheila’s the doer. John is the thinker. Do opposites attract?
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Sammy – just to be at a residential school with a survivor and to listen to their story of what happened to them was so eye opening and it almost made me angry that, why didn’t we learn about this sooner, why are we just learning about this in university and the only reason I’m learning about this is because I chose to take this course. This isn’t a mandatory course for everyone.
John – I’ve come to conclude that my own wellness and the wellness of the people around me requires me to learn and better understand what happened with residential schools. People should look online and find information relating to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. At least see if you can find summaries as a starting point, and some of the statements that are being made, so that you can better understand what’s happening and what did happen. [see link above under What’s on Your Mind]
Julia – It was really celebrated when the average time for finishing parkrun [which is 5 km] increased from in the 20s to over 30 minutes. It was meant to be a very big moment for parkrun as a global movement, because it means that people who wouldn’t necessarily have traditionally participated in a running event are now coming out more and feeling more welcome. That’s something I find that people resonate with when we talk about the participating aspect of parkrun.
John – Nobody is too slow to do parkrun. If you are saying to yourself, “I’m too slow”, well you are not too slow. Go out, enjoy it and have a great time.
Jonathan – I’ve been able to get to the Farmer’s Market again, after going only to grocery stores for a while (due to Covid). I notice a dramatic difference in the quality of produce at the Farmer’s Market and I’m starting to feel better nutritionally. I’ve been eating more vegetables because of this.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Cameron: Somewhere there’s a reel of me hissing and growling and making terrifying noises.
Guest Information:
Julia Heyens is a leisurely runner. She was attracted to parkrun for its inclusive nature and community feel. She started attending events when she visited her sister in London, England (where parkrun started). She helped bring the event to Kitchener, Ontario. Julia is a registered midwife, currently on parental leave keeping busy with my 6-month-old child.
Jonathan Gascho is a local runner and a Wilfred Laurier University graduate. He became involved with parkrun to help remove barriers that make people believe that they are not, and can never be called a runner. He lives in Waterloo and work at Running Room – which sells all things running related. He is another person who helped bring parkrun to KW
parkrun Contact information:
Victoria parkrun website (Kitchener, Ontario): https://www.parkrun.ca/victoriakitchener/
parkrun global website: https://www.parkrun.com/
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie