On the final day of the January Challenge five Worthing GoodGymers headed for the local parkrun arena.

Mud, not so glorious mud

Gill and John got stuck into helping with setting up the finish area. Literally stuck in as they squelched around in the somewhat well soaked grass. The green finish funnel would be turned brown before long!

On the turn

Meanwhile Belinda strode off towards the turnaround point, cones in hand greeting, and being greeted by parkrunners heading for the start. On reaching the turnaround point and setting up the cones Belinda must have thought a course record would be set (more on that later). Actually, it was a non parkrunning group, using the parkrun course and setting of just before parkrun. If you enjoy a puzzle, try and ponder why they choose there and then to run, when they know they will encounter around 700 runners on their way back. Answers to this puzzle would be most welcome and appreciated. Don’t think too hard though. We don’t want to be responsible for any exploding brains. Messy!

Hearing aid

As part of their set up role John and Gill got the new speakers into position. They worked a treat. When will the runners understand that the purpose of the speakers isn’t so that we can speak over their chatter, but so that everyone can hear the briefing. Another eternal (or infernal) puzzle.

Holding the line

Stéphane and Barbara risked life and limb, taking their place on the flimsy tape that separates our 628 runners and walkers from the general public, ensuring everyone has a safe route through.

And finally

On the final turn today was Barbara. She directed runners towards the finish line, and also, most ably, responded to a member of the public expressing concern about our right to be there. I won’t share Barbara’s answer (both because it’s probably a bit provocative, but also I wasn’t listening carefully enough!), but it did transpire that the individual the member of the public complained about was not doing parkrun. Back again to the puzzle referred to above. Any answers yet?

A checkered experience

Stéphane moved on to the role of Number Checker. A crucial role, the checker sheet being the key data that helps to resolve any timing anomalies. If there are any timing queries this week, they might just get sent Stéphane’s way.

Recorded for posterity

It was great to have GoodGym supporting what turned out to be a record breaking run. First finisher crossed the line in 14 minutes, 13 seconds. Amazing! On the other hand, he can’t really have taken much in of our beautiful coastal scenery. If you do come to take part in Worthing parkrun I recommend taking the time to enjoy……

Tide-ying Up at Turning Tides 🌊🌱

This week GoodGym Worthing headed out to support Turning Tides at one of their local homeless hostels, lending a hand with a much-needed winter tidy-up.

Six of us – Mr and Mrs R (aka John and Belinda), Paul, El, and Stephane – tackled the paved front garden, turning our attention to the borders that had seen better days. Armed with secateurs, brooms and our invaluable GoodGym working lights, we set about cutting back, sweeping up and generally bringing some order back to the space.

As always, the tools were working almost as hard as we were chatting, with plenty of lively parkrun discussion keeping spirits high as the task progressed . By the end of the session the borders were neater , the skip loaded , and the entrance much more welcoming for residents and staff alike.

A great job done by everyone – teamwork, good conversation and a positive difference made. 💪🌟

El earned herself a double good deed by taking some empty chocolate boxes to our local Greene King pub to support the post Christmas macmillan cancer recycling project. Whilst delivering them she even got a run in too 😇👏

A freezing cold wind swept across our beautiful Goring beauty spot this January, but that didn’t deter an intrepid GoodGym crew from heading out for a Walk & Talk litter pick. Wrapped up and ready for action were Mel and Paul, Barbara, Daisy, Ann, Ricky (fresh from his run ), Belinda, John, Paul and Pepper the pooch!

Despite numb fingers and toes, the team set to work with real determination. Bags were soon filling up with an interesting – and at times rather risqué – assortment of rubbish. It was sad to see just how much litter had found its way onto our greensward, but hugely uplifting to see the impact we could make together in such a short time. Fantastic teamwork all round, with plenty of chat and laughter to keep spirits high despite the cold.

A very special mention goes to Anne who celebrated her 150th good deed with us on this task – a wonderful milestone and the perfect way to mark it: giving back to the community with a smile, even in freezing winds. Huge congratulations, Anne! 🎉💚

Mission accomplished, we retreated to the warmth of my house for a well-earned social. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate flowed freely, accompanied by sweet treats . A perfect way to thaw out, catch up, and celebrate another job well done.

Cold, camaraderie, community action –. A classic GoodGym session and a brilliant start to the year 💚

Twas the night before Christmas....

It was early dusk when six GoodGymers who had offered to be Santa’s support crew for the big night arrived at the local distribution hub.

Roxy, got the bit between her teeth and with a grin full of mischief, rounded up the reindeer with the help of her dog Mali, who took the task far more seriously than anyone else. Hooves clattered, bells jingled, and at a speed only GoodGym could achieve, the reindeer were neatly hitched to the sleigh, snorting clouds of frosty breath into the night.

Christmas lost?

Santa, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen. He was soon discovered by Stéphane, hiding behind a stack of sacks, pale and trembling. Dogs made him nervous. Always had. Stéphane coaxed him out gently, promising the dog would stay at the front and absolutely not lick his boots. He still held back…..

The first Christmas miracle

John was handed a spare outfit — miraculously, the perfect size. No one asked questions. Christmas magic has its own tailoring department.

Ready, steady…… Wait for the briefing!

Julia, now officially promoted to Senior Elf for the Evening, cleared her throat and delivered the safety briefing with her usual authority: “Hold on tight. No looking down. Participation entirely at your own risk.” Everyone nodded solemnly.

There were, however, particular concerns about Elf Sarah. The route would take them through wildly changing climates, and Sarah did not like rain. Reins, however, turned out to be fine. She took charge of Rudolph’s reins, gripping them with purpose and pride. At precisely the right moments, she would pass them to Santa, along with any other essential accessories, as if this were a highly rehearsed operation rather than festive chaos.

Up, up and away

As the sleigh lifted into the sky, the team sang a slow, slightly mournful version of No El, No El, in quiet recognition of the absence of one of their regulars. The night listened respectfully.

Somewhere over the mountains, the Naughty and Nice list slipped from the sleigh and vanished into the darkness below. There was a pause. Then a decision. There will be no coal left this year. Fortunately, the gift list was thorough. They knew exactly what to leave, and there was also a note for each house in the world saying chimney or key!

Racing through the night

They barely noticed the miles passing beneath them; mountains, seas, rooftops blurring together. The sleigh slowed only just enough to dip, deliver, and vanish again. In and out in the blink of an eye. Presents left. Carrots and mince pies collected. And, where tradition demanded, a warming alcoholic tipple respectfully sampled. If you’ve ever wondered why you’ve never seen Santa, only sensed him, now you know. It’s speed.

And we’re done

And just like that, it was over. With the built-in homing instincts of racing pigeons, the reindeer were released to fly themselves home. There they feasted on sackfuls of gathered carrots before bedding down for a long, well-earned rest.

Sixth sense

Thank you to “The Six” who gave their time to bring so many smiles across the world. It happened so quickly you might not even remember it.
Was it a dream? Did it really happen? Well, did you wake feeling slightly tipsy? More fed than usual*? Then you know.
You know.

Epilogue

*apart from Belinda. She woke up completely hammered and absolutely starving. Turns out there still aren’t enough gluten-free pastry makers in the world.

March of the Toy Soldiers (and Two Very Good Dogs) 🎄🐾

We wrapped up the year in festive style with a Christmas Toy Soldier social walk, bringing together good company, seasonal cheer and just over 4km of walking and talking.

Our mission was to track down the sometimes elusive Toy Soldier statues scattered along the route. Spirits were high as we searched, spotted and celebrated each one — stopping frequently to strike poses and capture an impressive array of photos along the way. Some soldiers were easier to find than others, but the challenge only added to the fun and we did have 1 very strong contender for a stand in 😀

Adding extra joy to the walk, Roxy and I brought along our dogs, Mali and Hudson, who thoroughly enjoyed being part of the adventure. They even had their own special photo moment in front of Toy Soldier number 5, clearly embracing their roles as honorary GoodGym mascots.

To round off the evening, a group of us headed to the pub for a well-earned festive drink, sharing laughs and reflecting on a great year of moving, helping and socialising together.

A perfect way to close out the year — thanks to everyone who came along, and here’s to more good deeds and good times in the year ahead!