Ascension : News From The Grotto - Thought For The Week
Submitted by The Islander (Shari Parkhill) 02.07.2009 (Article Archived on 16.07.2009)

Today was a special day for me; the day of the Ascension Island Adventure Run had finally arrived.

Today was a special day for me; the day of the Ascension Island Adventure Run had finally arrived.  All the planning, organizing, arm-twisting and cajoling had come down to this.  Would anyone show up? 

And, this being Ascension, of course they did.  Runners of all ages, backgrounds and fitness levels dragged themselves out of bed at an unfriendly early hour, ready to challenge themselves on whichever course they’d chosen.  The simplest course, the Junior Adventure Run, was two miles long.  That’s a long way for little legs, but little ones were there.  The Road Race, although mostly downhill, was six miles long.  And the Adventure Run, clocked in by a participant at four plus miles, had a mountain peak to make it a bit more interesting – and challenging! 

The Adventure and Road Run folks gathered at the Two Boats Car Park and at the shrill sound of Larry’s bullhorn, off they went.  The volunteers quickly jumped in buses, vans and trucks, and hurried off to their next station!  It wasn’t long before we were getting status reports that the Adventure Runners were making it to the top of Sister’s Peak already. 

After the start of the Junior Run at the Camel Sign on English Bay (we always knew there would be a good use for that strange sign!) it was on to the finish line to await the runners.  The wonderful smell of sausages was already filling the air as our cooks were busily preparing to feed the hungry folks when they arrived. 

It wasn’t long before the shout went up that the first finishers were arriving.  Some of the younger runners had really pushed themselves on the Junior Run and were soon crossing the finish line!  After that it was a steady stream of runners completing the race.  One young lady even ran across the finish line with a little hitch-hiker on her back!  Quite an amazing feat considering she was finishing in second place in the Adventure Run for the ladies!

Of course, in any run on Ascension, there are always those who are completing it as a “walking course”, still a feat!  These folks took a little more time to finish but it is a credit that they do it, under any mode and at whatever time it takes them.  Being one of the slower finishers in any Dew Pond Run I’ve participated in, I’m well acquainted with the good feeling that comes with just completing what this island throws at us.

The money raised from the Adventure Run is going to the Porter Memorial Playground Fund.  As everyone knows, this is a charity near and dear to my heart, as it will contribute to the building of a playground to honour the memories of Jason, Hannah and Jack Porter.  It means so much to me that my friends on Ascension are willing to help raise funds for something that will be built five thousand miles away. 

This experience has once again brought home a few lessons to me.  The first is that the generosity of people’s spirits will never cease to amaze me, especially on this island so far from anywhere else.  People will go above and beyond to help out.

It also has once again reminded me that no one can accomplish anything all on their own.   I could not have pulled everything together and run a successful fund raising event without the help of so many people.  You all know who you are.  I will be thanking you in writing in an article about the run so I will leave the individual names out here.  But know that I am deeply grateful to each and everyone of you. 

And perhaps the greatest lesson in today’s experience is that, as we travel through life, no one travels alone.  No matter what is going on in our lives, whatever difficulty we are experiencing, whatever goal we are trying to achieve, whatever we are celebrating, we are not alone.  Our family and friends, and sometimes even strangers, will be there to help, guide, support, encourage, and lend a hand to make it happen. 

To all the wonderful people who populate this island, I thank you all.  And may God Bless each and every one of you.