Eleanor Thomson and Zellany Neal-Zen

WHERE DID YOU MEET?

TOWN: Leeds

COUNTY: West Yorkshire

PLACE: Mostly along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal!

WHAT DID YOU DO?

A half marathon - the virtual Great North Run - from Guiseley to Silsden.

ELEANOR:

I had signed up to run the normal race for Breast Cancer Haven and suddenly thought, a couple of weeks before the virtual event, that it might be good to run with a Trooper if possible, so asked Zen if she would like to join me.

ZEN:

I felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Running 13 miles is no mean feat; it had been a while since I had run this distance. I did not want to let Eleanor down as she was running to raise money for the Haven, a cancer charity providing support to women through cancer. This was also meaningful poignant to me, as my partner had used their service several years ago after receiving treatment for breast cancer.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE MEETING UP WITH A TROOPER IN PERSON?

ELEANOR:

Normal! It was just as if we had met before!

ZEN:

I had not met Eleanor before and only knew of her through the MiM Community. I did feel a little anxious on meeting for the first time. These feelings soon dissipated as we began to chat about general life, family etc whilst we ran those miles of the half marathon route. The experience was fabulous; we kept each other motivated to get to the end. Without Eleanor, and the fact that there was a medal to be had at the end, I think I might have given up at around the 11 mile mark. In fact

without Eleanor I would have not done this at all.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT MILITARY IN MOTION AND THE COMMUNITY?

ELEANOR:

The welcome, acceptance and encouragement from the community are really powerful. I've had some really valuable support through some health scares as well as staying active and improving my running and strength.

ZEN:

The MiM Community has helped me on so many levels. It's provided a sense of being part of something, being connected to others, especially during the whole period of lockdown. The MiM Community has empowered me to stick to a plan as well as developing routine and structure.