This is what Sharon had to say…..
“When I saw Run Melbourne in January I registered straight away. I saw so many benefits. Growing up in country NSW I was always involved in sports. Netball and tennis then karate when I moved to Melbourne and running. So regaining my fitness and health was an important part of life to me. I felt like my body had been through a lot and I wanted to take care of it and be prepared for my whole future ahead of me. The great thing about Run Melbourne is though Sole Motive you can chose a charity to fundraise for. So of course I chose the Unicorn Foundation. When I was searching for information on NETs Google did my head in but when I found the Unicorn Foundation things finally made sense! Even though I had some medical knowledge through Veterinary Nursing it's still not easy to understand and/or explain until you find a source that can do just that.
In January I had only just started to exercise again so when it came to choosing a distance I didn't know what I would be able to do. As a full time working mum just returning to exercise training was limited so I chose 5km to be safe. I didn't know how my body would respond. I didn't even know what 'wave' to choose when I had to select what time I thought I would finish it in. People would ask what distance I was doing. Some would ask 'only 5km?' in fun. I explained my background and who I was fundraising for and I watched their opinion change quickly! I am happy and proud to call myself a 'fun runner!'
I mainly fundraised through good old facebook, sharing my page and others did too. In May I had an online Jamberry Nail Party. 10% of profits went to my fundraising. And this is where I got my zebra nails for the run! At work I had a collection tin which got full and heavy. I counted all the coins up and transferred the money to my fundraising account from my account and I kept the coins aside as my coffee change!
I had fun making sure I looked the part for the day. I felt so special when I got my Unicorn Foundation singlet and visor in the mail. I wore my visor whilst running leading up to the event but saved the singlet for the day! I was so proud! I accessorised also with unicorn and zebra earrings and even found running tights with a zebra pattern in them. My mum made my son Max a top with a picture of us on the front and the Unicorn Foundation logo on the front and the ribbon on the back. The day before, I made streamers for Max and my husband to wave at the finish line.
Run Melbourne is a great event and I'll definitely be there again next year. It's at a great location… easy walk for your supporters to get a muffin and coffee and babycino on the way to greet you at the finish line. There were heaps of stalls, stands and music giving it a great atmosphere. I usually run with earphones in listening to music however “Run Melbourne” had live bands dotted along the course so my earphones were in and out.
I actually finished with a personal best by a few seconds and when I saw my results I was very surprised – there was 3859 in the 5km run and I finished in the top 3rd, was in the top 3rd in my age group and top 3rd in females.
'Aspire to Inspire' has become my motto. I wanted to be come out of this stronger. I want others to feel the hope that I feel. I wanted to create awareness of NETs and the Unicorn Foundation. At Run Melbourne crossing the finish line I feel like I accomplished all of these things and I will continue to do so.”
