Nearly two years ago, Chris Rhys Howarth mentioned he was planning to run across Kenya. We met to record a podcast exploring the plans for this adventure, Chris’ desire to make a difference to the street kids in Kenya, had started some years earlier and he has spent time with his project ‘hear our voice Kenya’ encouraging them to tell their stories and be heard and so make a difference to their own lives and the lives of those who heard their story
The idea of the run was born part of a bigger dream to be part of providing opportunities to allow at least some of them to create a better and brighter life for themselves.
On Saturday night my friend Ange with her husband Nick picked me up and we went together to the Underground Theatre here in Eastbourne to see the film that has come from this original seed of an idea. It is about two very different journeys, Chris’s journey running more than 1000 miles across Kenya, covering 40 marathons in 30 days and a young Kenyan street boy who is fighting to build a life away from the streets.
The film is wonderful – a story of how these journeys come to be connected, about overcoming the odds and learning how to see the world through new eyes.
At the very end of the film, as Chris arrives in Mombasa flanked by crowds of children, he runs down to the sea and if you knew we were there, you can catch a quick glimpse of Ange and me, clapping and cheering as he runs by.
We had travelled out to Kenya a couple of days before, landing in Nairobi and then driving to where Chris had run to – an 11 hour drive for us. It should have been nine hours, but that is another long story involving tales of my map reading skills – or lack of!
After the excitement of finding Chris, there was an early get up the next day and I had run 20 miles with Chris – it should have been 26 had I not collapsed with dehydration (another long story!)
Angela had shown and interest in Chris’s mission from a while back, listening to his podcasts and following his journey through me. When I announced I planned to go to Africa to run a leg with him she said ‘I’ll come too and I’ll support Chris’ – and she has.
She provided the support needed to produce the film and sitting there with her on Saturday night it really was the culmination of a journey for many people… but as with all journeys, in a way there is no end, as it is leading to another journey.
Chris hopes that the beauty and tragedy of the film will open the way for greater work, for more involvement and awareness, and in time, serve to be part of a more healed, compassionate and united world…
Earlier in the day, I had enjoyed the rare feeling of a totally unexpected show of form!
I had travelled to the Masters County Championships with zero expectation. My run last week was pleasing in that I ran hard, had come away uninjured and strong and ready to run again…So I returned to a Cross country venue with an idea I would keep building and just run as hard as I could.
The gun went and I felt great, but then I had felt great last week for about a minute! So I backed off and allowed myself to flow along, fully expecting that I would slip back through the field.
But -I stayed strong. I ran well. I finished 9th and surprised everyone, myself included by my swift return to some sort of form…
Related posts:
- Healing and inspiration through running
- Words make a difference
- ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’
