Photo by Philip Hughes
Find out more about Scottish Disability Sport Week
It’s Scottish Disability Sport Week and we will be highlighting some of the athletes, clubs and programmes at the forefront of inclusion within our sport.
The week-long campaign aims to encourage people with disabilities to improve their wellbeing by being more physically active, in a way that suits them.
Today we look at a remarkable story from Lochaber AC . . .
Ashley MacDonald, Lochaber AC Runner/Hill Runner
Background
Ashley is a senior athlete at Lochaber AC with cerebral palsy.
She joined the club nearly five years ago and is a member of the committee. She is also currently going through the Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) qualification so she can lead sessions and is the Women’s Captain for the club.
Ashley took up running after her former boss encouraged her to try parkrun as she was instrumental in the set-up and running of this in 2018. She started running the weekly 5km route before joining a jogscotland group.
Eventually, looking for a new challenge, she joined Lochaber AC. The club’s training takes place on the roads and hills and Ashley trains with them every Tuesday, complementing her training with runs on her own two-three days a week.
To celebrate a milestone birthday next year, she is currently training for a marathon and is also taking part in the Ben Nevis race this year for the second time.
Ashley spoke to scottishathletics about how welcoming and supportive the club are.
Routes/training sessions are adapted for her where required, but it is always done with discretion. She has credited running with an increase in her self-confidence and an improvement with her anxiety.
Photo by John O’Neill
Ashley’s story . . .
Running was never something I thought I would love.
I always hated it in school (the dreaded beep test always gave me the fear) but all that changed.
As I write this, I still see myself as quite new to running even after nearly five years with the club, the Lochaber AC Winter League being my first experience of racing. There are ten races throughout the winter months with five to complete the league. Or, if you are slightly mad like me, you can do all ten!
What I didn’t mention is I have Cerebral Palsy and it affects my left side, affecting my balance, causing me to trip up and fall sometimes. This makes walking challenging, let alone running.
I started running nearly five years ago after being encouraged to give it a try by friends Helen Smith and Davy Duncan. It all started at the parkrun on Saturday 28 September 2019 and the rest, as they say, is history. From that first walk/run, I knew I was hooked.
My first year of running was a love/hate affair of building mileage, running a little further and for longer each time. I joined the local jogscotland group where I met a great group of runners of all abilities and ages. They were so welcoming and encouraging, never caring how slow or how long it would take me in the early days.
Fast forward to my first anniversary of running and I needed a challenge to celebrate. So of course, I challenged myself to my first Half Ben – it nearly killed me, my head told me to stop, but my determination made me carry on.
In the summer of 2020, I took part in the virtual Summer League, which brought more challenges and longer distances than I had run before including my first half marathon.
The longer distances bring their own set of problems. Cerebral Palsy means I get tired quicker – some days my right hip kills me because I have done too much. It can sometimes take me days to recover after a long run/race. As I said above, my balance is affected, so I am prone to falling, especially when tired.
Photo by Philip Hughes
The Winter League of 2020 was fast approaching, but unfortunately it had to be done as a virtual league during Covid nut this took the pressure off racing and I just enjoyed the runs and new routes, not caring how long it took me to finish.
When restrictions relaxed, the Winter League returned to the previous format of racing on Sundays. The thought of racing made me nervous and anxious, not thinking I would be welcomed into this elite group of runners, having known some great runners who have passed through this group.
In my head, Lochaber AC was for ‘pro runners’ but how wrong was I. From the first race, I was welcomed and supported by all at the club, some of whom I knew, but most I didn’t.
At the end of the first race of the series, I was welcomed over the finish line with cheers and screams of support, and with that my anxiety was gone and I couldn’t wait for the next race and to see everyone again.
I finished the League only one of two runners to complete all ten races. I am a much stronger runner now and have a new love for running and hills.
In September 2022, as I stood cheering on the runners in the Ben Nevis race, a crazy idea popped into my head, that I was going to do this race next year. I enlisted a friend of mine who willingly said she would race with me – more fool her!
Our first hill race together was Ben Lomond in a time of 2hrs 55 mins. We continued to do hill races throughout that summer season, with the training leading up to the Ben Nevis race the following September.
With the hill races came a whole new heap of support from race organisers, timers and different club runners.
Before we knew it, it was Ben race day. We lined up at the start together and 4hrs 49 mins and 11 seconds later, we crossed the finish line together.
So to anyone who like me thinks that Lochaber AC is for elite runners, it’s not!
It’s for anyone who loves to run. You will find a great bunch of genuine and supportive people, who all want you to succeed and achieve your goals.
Feel the fear . . . and do it anyway!
Photo by John O’Neill
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Tags:
Lochaber AC, Para athletics
