Inspiration rekindled by a brave fireman
Running with terminal cancer
Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in our own little worlds, but this week I was reminded that many people have challenges in life when I had the privilege of meeting James Rossano Bull.
James is a former pro rugby player and now fireman who has suffered for many years with mental health battles. Just like me he is using those challenges as a force for good, trying to make a difference to others.
When you are a fireman it’s a brave step to talk about mental illness and what you’ve been through with others – and I was in awe of James’s drive and commitment to make a difference.
We spent an inspirational afternoon together chatting about life while being filmed for a documentary, ‘Feel the Burn’ which tells his story.
We had both entered the brilliantly organised XNRG
66-mile Pilgrims challenge race and we spent the next day together running through the countryside in pretty hot weather sharing stories, hopes and fears for our – and other’s – lives affected by what we have.
At the finish, we were both even more pumped up for our respective causes and had a better understanding of what our respective illnesses do to our lives. On top of that, we learned a few lessons about running in the heat as we’ll meet again when we both take on the tough 250k Marathon Des Sables race in Morocco later this year.
Like James and me, I do hope you share any challenges that you are facing in life with others because you will usually feel better for it afterwards – and it may help you turn a corner to help find the joy in life every day as we all should. Until next week
Kev