Latest news with #Parkrun
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
He took up running 70 years ago - now 'sprinting monk' finally has gold medal
An elderly monk has shown off his gold medal for winning his first athletic championship at the age of 81 - after 70 years of trying. Dubbed the 'sprinting monk', Father John Gribben - inspired by the film Chariots of Fire - ran the 60m, 200m, and 400m sprint races in aid of poor children in Africa. He has now been pictured with gold medal he won in a 400 metre race - fulfilling an ambition that has spanned decades. Father John, originally from Belfast, first took up running 70 years ago in the 1950s. The pious pacer, said he almost collapsed at the time, but has flourished in the last ten years and now takes two buses every Saturday morning to attend a Parkrun event in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. He has also raised £6,000 (€7,100) for the Tariro charity, which helps young people in Zimbabwe. In February, Father John beat out the competition to take gold in the 80+ category at the British Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London. He completed the race in two minutes, three seconds, 190 milliseconds. Despite the unexpected win, Father John says he doesn't believe there was any divine intervention behind his win, instead crediting it to his hard work and the support others have given him. He said: 'I'd hate to think that I was using something that gave me an advantage of the others other than my training and my strength. But, the encouragement that comes from my faith is a great help. There have been bad nights, or nights when I've had too much to eat, when I'm not in the mood for going out for a run. 'I just say to my saviour, 'if you go with me, I'll go running', and then I start to get my gear on and go out. As to being given an extra surge of energy or strength, I'm not sure that would be fair.' The sprightly monk continues to take two buses every Saturday to attend his local Parkrun before heading home to his Monastery – taking time to stop for a bacon butty first. As well as his gold in the 400 metres, Father John also achieved bronze in the 60 metres with a time of 13.16 seconds, and in the 200 metres with a time of 47.66 seconds. Father John joined the Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield, West Yorks., in 1979, after moving from Belfast. He discovered the monastery on a visit to Liverpool in 1966, while he was watching Brazil play in the World Cup, and was taken by its beauty he made the move 13 years later as there was a lack of Anglican churches in Ireland. He's since devoted his life to prayer, worship, and ministry. For the last 10 years, he's found solace in running and keeps fit by training six days a week, involving a mixture of running around the monastery, at his local Parkrun and hitting the gym. Click here to donate to Father John's fundraising efforts.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Dad, stop scrolling: grab a book
Father's Day is coming up, a perfect time to show the father figure in your life how much you love him. A book is always a great option, a special gift, from history to cooking, biographies to crime. Here are a few — new on the bookstore shelves — that we suggest We Two from Heaven: A Memoir by James Whyle. Image: Supplied We Two from Heaven: A Memoir by James Whyle (Jonathan Ball Publishers) In this memoir, Whyle weaves together his father's WWI war letters, his own apartheid trauma, and the makings of himself as a writer. Ivan Vladislavić recommends it: 'Whyle's prose is finely tuned, unflinching in its approach to painful subjects, but also laced with wry humour and the sheer delight of being alive.' Performing Masculinities: Izikhothane in a South African Township by Sifiso JG Mnisi (HSRC Press) This is quite heavily on the academic side, but it is essential reading for those who wish to delve into the complexities of township male youth identity in post-apartheid South Africa. Journey Kwantu: Exploring African Spirituality and Identity by Vusumzi Ngxande (Jonathan Ball Publishers) This book is inspired by Ngxande's popular podcast of the same name and examines South African spiritual beliefs and how they have all evolved. Perceptive stuff. Image: Supplied In a Rain of Dust: Death, Deceit, and the Lawyer who Busted Big Asbestos by David Kinley (Johns Hopkins University Press) For nearly 90 years, British company Cape Asbestos mined and milled asbestos in South Africa. Poor, mostly black, women and children (some as young as seven) worked each day in a smog of asbestos dust, which caused appalling levels of death and disease. Kelly tells of the legal battle that took place to hold the company accountable. Impactful. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci (Macmillan) Baldacci is a master at historical thrillers and he makes this WWII novel set in London unique, with characters that are instantly believable. An Act of Murder by Tom Eaton. Image: Supplied An Act of Murder by Tom Eaton (Penguin Books) The premise: It hasn't been a great week for struggling actor Arnold Prinsloo. His career has bottomed out, he's about to be evicted from his Melville cottage and the love of his life Zelda has had enough and left him. But it gets even worse when he is accused of murder. The promise: laugh-out-loud cackling and a twisty murder mystery. Image: Supplied One Small Step: A Definitive Account of a Run that Became a Global Movement — from the founder of Parkrun by Paul Sinton-Hewitt (Macmillan) Sinton-Hewitt is the international founder of Parkrun, which, for those who have not heard of it, started as a small weekly event for friends and has grown into an international phenomenon that takes place in over 23 countries every weekend with over nine million registered parkrunners. After the UK, South Africa offers the most Parkrun venues. Sinton-Hewitt writes about how his simple idea of coming together changed his own life and hopefully the lives of others. Men & Mental Health: Shattering the Silence by Marion Scher (Bookstorm) Men in South Africa are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, yet most men don't talk about depression or seek help. Scher talks to men from all walks of life about how hard it is to admit to mental health challenges. She also gets valuable contributions from psychiatrists and psychologists and points towards solutions that could provide relief and support. Walking Wild: Hiking the length of Kruger National Park by José A Neves. Image: Supplied Walking Wild: Hiking the length of the Kruger National Park by José A Neves (HPH Publishing) 'A must read for anyone who loves Kruger and adventure,' says Australian author Tony Park, who lives near the Kruger and writes about it. This is not about your typical hike or safari with sundowner G&Ts. Rather, it's about 605km of dust and sweat as a group sets out to walk the entire length of the Kruger National Park. Over six stages and three years they travelled through blistering heat and violent storms. This captures the deep connection of people and nature. Image: Supplied Blood's Inner Rhyme by Antjie Krog (Penguin Books) Everyone should read this book by the legend. It's an autobiographical novel in which she breaks the boundaries of genre to write about her complex relationship with her mother Dot, who in her nineties is frail and needs full-time care, but whose intellect is razor sharp and whose writing is comparable to her own. This is Krog's most intimate book, yet most universal. Faces and Phases of Resilience: A Memoir of a Special Kind by Tinyiko Maluleke (Tracey Macdonald Publishers) In this collection of essays, Maluleke begins his memoir with his eventful boyhood in Soweto and his life-changing upbringing in Limpopo. He then traces his time in academia and weaves it into his personal narrative of South Africa. The Nicotine Gospel by Sven Axelrad (Umuzi) Axelrad takes bits of his own life to create this novel about two brothers Nathan and Danny who after their mom dies, are left in the care of their eccentric dad, Esben Muesli. Esben invents a new set of rules to make sense of the world, calling it the Nicotine Gospel. Nostalgic, moving and funny but sad. Food Trail South Africa by Warren Mendes. Image: Supplied Food Trail South Africa by Warren Mendes (Penguin) Mendes, who now calls Australia his home, travelled back to his place of birth and the result is this cookbook filled with familiar local loves and an appreciation for South African kos. It has everything from how to make a Cape Masala mix, to koeksisters vs koesisters. Not difficult and very easy to follow, this is more than just the usual braai book to give dad.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Empathy Walk: Come walk with us in your blue shirt
Empathy Walk: Come walk with us in your blue shirt VANDERBIJLPARK – All residents are invited to support Vaalweekblad's Empathy Walk. Apart from the fact that it is free, and you and the whole family are thereby supporting a good cause, it will be a wonderful morning in nature. Vaalweekblad's Empathy Walk will take place on June 7 at the Emerald Resort and Casino's game reserve. Participation is free, but clothing donations (everything from shirts to shoes) and non-perishable food will be appreciated. The walk is held in conjunction with the weekly Parkrun that is offered at the venue. It starts at 07:00 for 07:30, and participants who specifically want to support the Empathy Walk are asked to wear blue shirts. So, bring your whole family and enjoy the morning together. Everything received on the day will be donated to the needy in our local community. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Greenock Junior Parkrun welcome nearly 50 fanatics in wild weather
GREENOCK Parkrun welcomed nearly 50 fitness fanatics to the Esplanade for a hectic event at the end of last month On a morning when the weather was ever-changing, 28 junior park runners and 19 hi-vis heroes took part in the latest junior parkrun. Advertisement Andrew James stopped by as he was raising cash for MND (Image: Greenock Parkrun) Breagha received her half marathon wristband as she ran her 11th junior parkrun last week. Tait, Theo and Jay all completed their 11th junior parkrun, whilst Ruby completed her 21st. All four will receive their wristbands next time they run. Personal bests were achieved by Breagha, Rosalind, Remy and Jack. One of the Parkrun's timekeepers, Andrew James, was visiting Greenock whilst walking from John O'Groats to Land's End raising money for MND and parkrun charities. MORE PARKRUNS Elijah was first to finish this week in 08:13. Coming in second was Rudy who finished in 08:29 allowing Sam to round out the top three boys just over a minute later. Advertisement Anna was first for the girls in 08:38 and with a personal best of 09:12 was second placed girl, Breagha. Cadhlea completed the top three girls in 09:16. A Parkrun spokesperson said: "Parkrun organisers are very grateful to the volunteers who made this event happen: Gillian Clark, Iona Clark, Lesley Clark, Graham Crawford, Lesley Dick, Gillian Falkingham, Richard Falkingham, Lynne Fulton, Rhona Hair, Tracey Howe, Andy James, Fiona MacFarlane, Lorna Maclean, Marjorie Morrison, Rachel Neil, Judy Ormond, Susanne Stetz, Caitlin Taylor, William Taylor "We are looking for volunteers for the next few weeks. If you would like to help out or find out more about volunteering, please email batteryparkjuniors@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Greenock Junior Parkrun welcome nearly 50 fanatics in wild weather
GREENOCK Parkrun welcomed nearly 50 fitness fanatics to the Esplanade for a hectic event at the end of last month On a morning when the weather was ever-changing, 28 junior park runners and 19 hi-vis heroes took part in the latest junior parkrun. Andrew James stopped by as he was raising cash for MND (Image: Greenock Parkrun) Breagha received her half marathon wristband as she ran her 11th junior parkrun last week. Tait, Theo and Jay all completed their 11th junior parkrun, whilst Ruby completed her 21st. All four will receive their wristbands next time they run. Personal bests were achieved by Breagha, Rosalind, Remy and Jack. One of the Parkrun's timekeepers, Andrew James, was visiting Greenock whilst walking from John O'Groats to Land's End raising money for MND and parkrun charities. MORE PARKRUNS Local runners join in celebrations at the 500th Greenock Parkrun event Greenock parkrun issues plea to find new volunteers Elijah was first to finish this week in 08:13. Coming in second was Rudy who finished in 08:29 allowing Sam to round out the top three boys just over a minute later. Anna was first for the girls in 08:38 and with a personal best of 09:12 was second placed girl, Breagha. Cadhlea completed the top three girls in 09:16. A Parkrun spokesperson said: "Parkrun organisers are very grateful to the volunteers who made this event happen: Gillian Clark, Iona Clark, Lesley Clark, Graham Crawford, Lesley Dick, Gillian Falkingham, Richard Falkingham, Lynne Fulton, Rhona Hair, Tracey Howe, Andy James, Fiona MacFarlane, Lorna Maclean, Marjorie Morrison, Rachel Neil, Judy Ormond, Susanne Stetz, Caitlin Taylor, William Taylor "We are looking for volunteers for the next few weeks. If you would like to help out or find out more about volunteering, please email batteryparkjuniors@
