Embarking on a new chapter: my resignation from parkrun

My initial plan after graduating from the University of Birmingham in 1998 was to become a lawyer. But this never happened, I went travelling, filled my bucket with new people, ideas and experiences, underwent a process of reflection and exploration (of the world and of myself) - unearthing my passion for international development. Instead of law I completed a Masters in this topic, and made it my career as a civil servant. I started walking, and then running. I entered the London Marathon, then lived and worked in Nepal. Coming back to the UK I was encouraged by a friend to try a triathlon and never looked back, winning the World Championships as an amateur athlete in 2006 and with the incredible opportunity and privilege to make the sport my profession.

I retired from triathlon in 2012, and was so fortunate to be able to continue to make my passion my career through parkrun. 

Pivoting might sound easy but, of course, it's not. 

Change is hard - because it requires compromise. For every path we decide to go down, or activity we invest in, there are doors that then close. It’s can also be scary. We can be fearful of the unknown, of financial insecurity, of ridicule, of not conforming, of failure, of uncertainty about where the path might lead.  

But when I look in the rear view mirror these 'fork in the road' experiences have taught me that being our personal best selves means fearing a bit less, daring to do things differently, stepping off the path and even carving out new ones, even if the outcome is uncertain. 

And the paradox is that change is a constant feature of our lives. Sometimes change is imposed upon us - at other times we can be the architects - we can be in the driving seat. With the start of a new year, I stand on the edge of a proverbial cliff having decided to be the agent of change in my career. 

After careful deliberation, including carving out the space I need to listen to my intuition, I have submitted my resignation from the position of UK Head of Health and Wellbeing at parkrun, and I will be leaving the organisation on 31 January.

I feel so fortunate to have been able to live my purpose - enacting positive change through the prism of physical activity - through parkrun since I first joined the staff team in 2013. Specifically, it was an honour to have been invited by the incredible founder of parkrun, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, to lead the development of junior parkrun, and help nurture its growth from humble beginnings to what it is today; as well as championing the diversification of participation in order to maximise parkrun’s incredible impact on health and wellbeing. 

It has been an absolute privilege to have worked alongside passionate, dedicated and talented people - many of whom I am so pleased to also call friends; to have collaborated with a range of organisations that are making a postive aimpact on the world; and to be empowered professionally and personally through the opportunities presented to me. 

I will be forever grateful that parkrun gave myself and my family the chance to take some time out and travel the world in 2023 and 2024. 

I will always be a friend of parkrun, however, I feel that the time is right for me to seek new and different challenges in my professional life. It is time to pivot and to jump off the cliff, even if the end destination is uncertain. 

Although I don’t (yet) have clarity about what the future holds, I look forward with excitement, optimism and positivity; knowing that it will continue to be anchored around my purpose and passions and that I am fortunate to be able to draw on all of my past experiences and relationships as I weave the next part of life’s beautiful, rich tapestry.