Friday with Heidi: Collaboration not competition…
Hellooo!
It’s been a week!
I always knew that September was going to be a busy one.
I decided 2 years ago that having a holiday in September is a bad idea. There’s a lot going on and it only adds to any feelings of overwhelm if I am not here.
So I am not entirely surprised that I feel like I’ve not touched the ground since this time last week when I was preparing for the Fido Fitness Weekend.
If you follow me or FastTrack Fit Camp on Facebook you’ll have seen that we had a very successful weekend and we’ve had some fabulous feedback from our clients who have managed to talk me around to running another one next year.
It was very collaborative.
We had the helpful and safe hands of Philippa helping me with the dogs and Tracy who came in and did some canine massage on some of them too.
We are currently looking at October next year. If you’ve any interest in this event (with no obligation) then I encourage you to drop Rowena a line on admin@fasttrack-fitcamp.co.uk to register your interest as we already have 10 names listed for a 13 people event.
However, the highlight of the week, and a reminder that we’re in this life together, has been our community celebration of our colleague Karen Burles who competed in the European Masters Athletics event in Venice last weekend.
She was selected for TeamGB women’s (veterans over 40) 100m dash.
In the pouring rain on Friday night she came a very commendable 4th place (0.01 behind 3rd) with a new personal best time and Reading Club record for her efforts. We were all so bloody proud of her. (She’s just behind the lady looking to the camera with dark hair).
And it gets better!
Karen was then asked if she’d go back to Venice and run in the 4x100m relay and, as of yesterday, also asked if she’ll run in the 4x400m relay this weekend.
It’s a medal opportunity for sure with four TeamGB women who were all in the 100m dash final now in the relay team.
However, as exciting and glamorous as this all sounds there are some raw facts.
There are no expenses for this event.
It is self funded.
Her flight, accommodation, kit, food and of course loss of income aren’t covered. To run the relays she needs to go back to Venice today to run on Saturday and Sunday.
Karen was prepared to sleep on the floor of a fellow athlete, but I felt so sure that our community would want to have a little bit of her success that I set up a fixed fee ‘crowd-funding’.
For a contribution of £10 each our community excelled themselves and produced a hearty £510 towards this and a future trip. To say she’s made up is an understatement and she’s determined to do her best for everyone who has supported her.
Collaboration has provided us with a powerful feeling of being part of something beyond ourselves with this.
I am so thankful to everyone who has cheered her on, commented, sent her messages, paid their tenner and given her hugs. It’s made it a fabulous few days.
I can’t wait to let you know what happens this weekend in next week’s FWH.
In other news this week I am absolutely chuffed to bits to learn that FastTrack Fit Camp was nominated for an award last month and the judging panel have decided that we’re in the final three of the Company of the Year category!
The Against Breast Cancer Achievement Awards are an annual event that celebrate national companies. We’re being recognised for our corporate social responsibility efforts and I am delighted.
There’s a gala dinner doodah in October to attend when the winners will be announced. There’s no public voting – this is a judged panel which makes me feel very happy that none of us can influence it in anyway.
It was a memorable moment to receive that message on Wednesday.
Getting to this point, 10 years into the business, is another glorious example of collaboration.
I have a team of wonderful women who help me with running Fit Camp sessions and the back office. I can’t thank them enough. It doesn’t work unless we do.
The people who come to Fit Camp sessions who are dedicated to their health and loyal to us and each other, in all weathers, all year around.
I have people I can call on for support with digital marketing, networking, business strategy, helping me look after my own health or when I have a head f**k moment and find someone to have coffee with, away from it all, to remind me it’s worth it.
And you. You read this newsletter, you follow our social media pages, you ask to have your email address changed to keep receiving FWH and, whether you’re a camper or not, you know what we do and what we stand for.
It takes all that to get to a point where someone can decide to nominate a company for an award.
Thank you. Your collaboration with FastTrack Fit Camp is gratefully received and I thank you all very much.
This week find someone to collaborate with.
You never know where it might lead 🙂
