Kenneth Ingram And His parkruns
Saturday marks the 2 year anniversary of Kenneth Ingram’s first ever parkrun.
Kenneth Ingram, 66, became a regular at the weekly organised runs after being diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes.
Kenneth said:
I was told to lose wait after my diagnosis and to generally improve my fitness
The decision to begin running regularly at Leeds parkrun events came after Kenneth was told it would eventually become type 1 (insulin dependent diabetes) if he did not take measures to get fitter.
Since beginning his parkrun career Kenneth has managed to lose 3 stone in weight and avoid type 1 diabetes.
Cross Flatts parkrun in Leeds is the first and only Kenneth has attended, he has now completed 78 at the park.
Kenneth shared:
My goal is to complete 100 and then I will get my 100 parkrun t-shirt
Not only has the running helped improve Kenneth’s general fitness, but his social life has also benefited.
I have made around 100 new friends since doing parkrun, I keep to Cross Flatts as I know the route and it’s near me
Kenneth emphasised the importance of parkrun to contributing to his improved fitness. parkrun is the only time Kenneth runs, outside of the event he takes long walks instead.
In addition to his diabetes diagnosis, Kenneth also has early-onset Dementia. The illness can happen at early age but usually affects the elderly.
Despite this, Kenneth says the illness does not affect his running, he even manages to volunteer at an impressive 7 different social groups throughout Leeds.
Outside of running, Kenneth is also involved in social walking groups in Leeds; all contributing to the prevention of his diabetes and helping others with similar issues.
Kenneth help set up the memory cafe at Parnaby Tavern, with the help of the Parnaby Pals. Memory cafes offer support for dementia sufferers with memory problems.
Kenneth said:
I hold a walking group from local recourse centre BITMOs GATE. The walk lasts about an hour and covers 5km or 3.1 miles. I also do a lot of other walking during the week, for example the 4 mile walk from my home to Rothwell once a week, to go to a memory cafe
Kenneth found out in the past few days that he has to go for a brain scan, linked to his Dementia. However, he insists he is still one of the lucky ones and is grateful for the support.
BITMOs GATE hosted a Dementia UK ‘Time For A Cuppa’ campaign on Tuesday. The campaign is running from 1-8 March nationwide, with numerous groups including the Kenneth is involved with will be doing their part to support families of dementia sufferers.
As usual, Kenneth will be at this Saturday’s Cross Flatts parkrun, completing yet another on his road to that momentous 100th!
Discover more about BITMO and the great work they do in Belle Isle, Leeds, here: http://runleeds.co.uk/r/bitmo-gate/