Prudence and I arrived in Nuremberg in Germany at 11pm, having travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a stop of a day and a half in Paris.
Prudence and I arrived in Nuremberg in Germany at 11pm, having travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a stop of a day and a half in Paris. When we arrived we were driven to our hotel in Herzogenaurach where we were staying for the weekend. The following morning we went to the adidas headquarters to begin thetraining for women. It started with an introduction and a presentation explaining all about the three-day education programme.
During the course we discussed several topics, such as: “Uniting women on a global level to promote emancipation and health through running.”. The training programme also touched on the history of 261 Fearless, that had its origin in the Boston marathon in 1967, the mission of 261 Fearless, its key values, the programme, the network of clubs and why it is so unique.
The most interesting part for me was when we were speaking about women and running, about the female body and running and the differences in anatomy, physiology, endurance and the female cycle, adaption of the training to the female cycle and running during pregnancy.
The other part of the programme that was very interesting for me were the practical sessions. We learned about the different exercises, running technique, body and arm posture, warm-up, coordination, endurance, strength and speed. And especially the different phases of running.
When it comes to how to be a certified 261 Coach, I learned that we should be a role model and it is very important to stay within the role of coach and not take on other responsibilities that we are not trained for, for example being a therapist or sports expert. The objectives of a 261 Fearless running club are for women to meet each other and have fun running with other women in an atmosphere without any competition. Also to stay in shape with the varied exercise programme that concentrates on a healthy running technique. With these exercises every participant can overcome personal challenges without feeling pressure to perform or to compete with others.
We also discussed strategies to help women to overcome their fears and how to set up a club and keep a healthy working relationship within the club.
The education programme in Germany with 261 Fearless was very beneficial thanks to all the different topics we discussed during the course. Through the exercises we can develop the well-being of women and lead to women’s emancipation. The big challenges for me personally were completing all the exercises and learning how to use the online communication platform that 261 Fearless use, but I managed and understood it by the end.
When I arrived home I was really happy and pleased to share everything with other women I know and to tell them about the great pleasure of practising sport for fun.
You can watch the first parts of the new documentary series called The 261 Fearless Documentary - Powered by adidas on the 261 Fearless YouTube or Facebook accounts. I am looking forward to seeing the new episodes soon!