Well, I feel completely fortunate and grateful again for the amazing community of friends who turned out to support my recovery this past weekend by running 10km, either in person with us in San Francisco or in different places around the world. I had friends run in France, Canada, all over the US and even a brave friend who ran through the sweaty streets of Yangon, Myanmar despite the funny looks he got from locals.
Here in SF, we had over 100 people attend, many of whom trained hard and completed a personal goal by running these 10km or 6.2 miles. I didn’t go the whole way but I did push myself over 3 miles in the wheelchair (more than I had ever done) and, more importantly, I definitely broke a sweat as I high-fived the runners. The weather was warm and sunny, the Golden Gate Bridge emerged from the fog and there was so much positivity amongst everyone who attended. We had everyone from pregnant moms to young babies to an 87 year old in attendance but no matter what, people brought with them their smiles, energy and good wishes for my recovery. We were all rewarded with a variety of food and drinks afterwards, not to mention ice cream from a small, local producer who generously donated frozen goodness to everyone in attendance.
Thanks to the help from a couple of my rehab trainers, I was able to stand up in a walker and show all of my friends some of the progress I had made. I still have a long ways to go, but it felt great to stand up and look at everyone at eye level, without being wobbly or tipping over.
Thank you to everyone for participating and reminding me that I’m not alone in this fight and that I have the support of all of you to propel me forward in my recovery. Hopefully, the next time we have another event like this, I’ll be on my feet!
Arash Recovery 