Keegan to take part in the Vitality 10k Run for Renew Counselling and Training
Keegan is one of the runners running for Renew at the Vitality 10k, and we were delighted to find out a bit more about him and why he supports our work.
Hi Keegan, thank you so much for supporting this cause! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a personal trainer, and I’ve been running my studio KGN training for 6 years. I help clients reach their goals in sports, fitness and weight loss, as well as helping them enjoy exercise.
Why did you decide to become a personal trainer?
I’ve always been into sport and like to set goals for myself. As time has gone on, I’ve realised how important it is for your mental health to put energy into something. Releasing pent up energy through exercise gives me a sense of relief, and I get to help people find that out for themselves.
How do you motivate yourself while you’re running?
Listening to podcasts or Audible takes your mind off the pain in your legs when you’re running and gives you something else to focus your mind on, so you don’t get tired or bored. Stories, books, podcasts, they give you something to think about while your body’s doing the work for you.
I’ve got an ultra-run coming up, which is a 50km run. I’ve been training for 8 weeks then after that I’ve got another 7 until the run, so the Vitality run is a challenge that will keep me motivated until then.
How did you hear about Renew?
One of my clients is good friends with someone who works at Renew, and they mentioned the Vitality 10k.
Why is Renew’s work important to you?
I actually see a private counsellor myself, and I see the benefits from going to therapy, so it’s a real shame that people can’t access this kind of help because of financial reasons. If you’re in a sticky situation and alone, therapy can help that. Especially during the cost-of-living crisis, Renew helps people have one less worry and gives them somewhere to go for support.
How has the gym helped your mental health?
On days when you don’t want to train, you can push yourself to go to the gym. It builds consistency as you go in not wanting to do it but come out buzzing. Going to the gym reminds me that if I can push myself there through the tough session, I can get through personal problems too because once you’ve been through the suffering in the gym, you know that you’re tough enough to go through other problems too. It’s a healthy way of building that discipline.
