We have now reached the halfway mark of The At Home Superheroes virtual challenge. Alongside my fellow Active Essex, Essex All Together Ambassadors Donna and Billy we have been getting active in our local communities to inspire, support, deliver and promote sports and physical activity for those with Long Term Health Conditions and Disabilities.
Here's a summary of what we have been up to this week as we continue to contribute KM’s to Team Ironman as we push, cycle, roll, walk and generally get active to travel around the world in a bid to finish in Paris by the end of the month's challenge.
Suzanne - This week has provided a wide range of activities for me. Despite some health challenges and an extremely busy schedule I have exceeded 10,000 steps every day this week and contributed many KM’s to #Team Ironman. I want to focus on some amazing people who have me truly inspired.
For just over 6 months I have been supporting the residents of Ridgewell House Care Home with arts and crafts activities. Over this time they have gained skills and confidence in creating increasingly difficult crafts that they are always delighted with whilst also supporting their hand and eye coordination and improving fine and gross motor skills and mental well-being despite the challenges they face. I couldn’t be more proud of their achievements and love working with them.
Another group I want to thank come from an amazing local primary school that I had the pleasure of teaching at this week. Not only did they give me my first taste of ‘Forrest School’ but the pupils taught me how to make my first Godseye, gave me a guided tour of the Forrest and introduced me to some great relaxation methods, as well as demonstrating their great teamwork, use of nature to support their mental well being and developing their problem-solving skills and physical development by utilising the environment for hiding, completing rope challenges and demonstrating their tree climbing skills.
A second day and an afternoon mental health break saw my 27 sidekicks join me for a walk around the grounds as well as some games and use of the trim trail to really up my steps for the day! Not only that we had some great conversations about disability and the real meaning of the superheroes challenge and they shared some great stories with me.
There was one special girl (who I cannot name) that I had the pleasure to work with this week who has already shown incredible strength and spirit in her own Superhero journey - I hope she feels inspired and strong enough to take on new challenges as she develops and grows.
I also have to mention the amazing Mobilates team and thank them all for their knowledge, enthusiasm, support and desire to help those of us with health conditions and mobility issues to develop stronger more resilient bodies through specially adapted Pilates sessions. This week's sessions have truly been a sanctuary that I needed.
Billy - “We are 17 days in and have contributed 223 km towards #TeamIronMan so far!
“This week was spent tallying our step count, doing some riding and rounded up with an awesome fishing adventure and camp day and night in Dungeoness with time spent going up and down the hills behind our camp.
"We are wishing all our fellow Superheroes & Sidekicks an awesome week ahead! We are changing things up slightly for the second part of our challenge, with a wider contribution of km's from some sidekicks to come along with us to do some swimming practice, along with a team meeting with fellow Essex All Together Ambassadors Donna and Suzanne, who have also been smashing it there way and contributing towards the wider team goal”
Donna - “Wow, what a second week it’s been of Superhero Series. I have course have been with Sport For Confidence. But I have needed to take some rest days this week and I have had lots of support from my sidekicks this week and they have ensured that I could still contribute to the total KM’s for Team Ironman!”.
Look out for more updates next week as we head into the last week of the challenge!
You can find out more about the Superheroes Series here: https://superheroseries.co.uk/at-home-superheroes-2024
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