On the 5th of June 2022, Lisa Wright, Business Support Manager at ASC, will be participating in a Wolf Run and asks for all proceeds to be given in support of Fibromyalgia Action UK.

The Summer Wolf Run is taking place on the 5th of June this year in Leicestershire. Now, you may ask, what is a Wolf Run? The word WOLF, on top of depicting a majestic creature, is an acronym for Woods, Obstacles, Lakes & Fields. From this, one can easily deduce that the difficulty of such an event is high and, as a result, not for the faint hearted due to its extremely physical nature. Participants must complete a course of either 3 (youth), 5 or 10 kilometres and brave the woods, mud, and obstacles in order to progress through the terrain. In essence it does sound like a fun weekend activity to spend outside for the sports and fitness fans out there. However, Lisa’s goal in participating resides in raising awareness and funds for Fibromyalgia Action UK as she has been diagnosed with the condition back in March 2018.

When Lisa was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, similarly to most people in the UK, she had never heard of the condition or had any idea of what it meant for her. It is therefore very dear to her heart that awareness about the condition and what it implies be raised around the UK. So, what is Fibromyalgia? Simply put, it is a long term condition which causes chronic pain all over one’s body coupled with extreme fatigue, difficulty sleeping, muscle stiffness, and can cause problems with mental processes. These are the physical symptoms, however there are some significant impacts on mental health and one’s daily life.

How did you react when hearing the diagnosis?

“When I was first diagnosed in March 2018, I had never heard of the condition. I ran quite a few Google Searches and as we all know when doing so for illnesses, immediately found the worst case scenarios! I was frightened of what was to come and how the condition would impact my life. I’m a very active person both at work and in my personal life and I thought that Fibromyalgia would halt this. The problem was that I couldn’t afford to stop working or decreasing my hours as like many other people in the UK, I’m a mum, Nanna, have bills to pay, and a mortgage, so taking a break was not an option!”

Why participate in such a physically demanding activity as a Wolf Run when suffering from Fibromyalgia?

“It started off as a thing you’d mention in a passing conversation really! Long story short, my friend Wendi heard me mention that I thought it would be fun and that I wished I could participate in a Wolf Run or a Colour Run but couldn’t because of my condition and she said let’s just do it! Before I knew it, I was signing up to the Wolf Run. Mind you, I haven’t gone into it blind. Since the 1st Covid lockdown, I’ve been trying to exercise more and go for runs with the Couch to 5k app. I’ve had amazing support from my family doing this as we’ve ended up all running together to motivate each other. While I was exercising, I figured out that I actually felt so much better after a run! I feel energised and accomplished. Even though the physical pain is still there, my mental health has drastically improved from regular exercise! All in all, it’s also for me to see whether I can do it, where my limits are, how high I can push them, and most importantly to make it fun! It’s definitely a challenge, but one I am excited and happy to take on!”

What message would you like to communicate about Fibromyalgia?

“I would like people to know more about the condition. While Fibromyalgia is quite common in the UK and the awareness of the condition exists, the understanding of what it entails can still be misconstrued. I would like people to understand that Fibromyalgia is not a visible condition, and has different levels of affliction which can vary depending on the day. If someone with the condition seems fine on one day, it doesn’t mean that the condition is not there or that they are faking it on worse days. In essence I guess I’m trying to ask people not to judge a book by its cover.”

We at ASC are extremely proud of Lisa and her commitment to this cause. If you would like to support her in her adventure, she has asked that you go through her JustGiving Page. She has set a target of £250 and all proceeds will be going directly to Fibromyalgia Action UK.

We are very supportive of employees who want to support charity or community initiatives. If this sounds like a place you’d like to work, contact Neil McNally today or visit our work for us pages.

Randy Lamotte is the Head of Marketing for ASC Connections. His love for creative endeavours such as writing and music began when he was only young. Through his current role, he loves to create and share content to help candidates find the best roles tailored to them, and for clients to find talented individuals to suit their needs.