TEACHERS IN ACTION
- The BZ Team
- Apr 5
- 7 min read
Resilience, adaptability, resourcefulness, empathy, responsibility, respect... You think our personal goals only apply to us children? Oh no, no matter how much we talk about them and practice them, seeing them in action from our adult role models is quite another thing!
Believe it or not, some of our Bright Horizons staff members, teachers, administrative and technical staff, do some amazing things in their free time! Here is an interview with three of our staff members who are real-life role models of resilience! They all run marathons, even though nobody forces them to;)! They are: Ms Thomas, our fearless Year 7 form teacher and brilliant Maths teacher, Ms Cunningham, our omnipresent school secretary who knows all the information you could ever ask about Bright Horizons, and Mr Barton, our enthusiastic and kind school care assistant!
Let's see when and why they started and what running can teach us all!
1. When did you first start running seriously, not just to catch up with a person or a bus?
MS THOMAS: I started running regularly during Covid, because everything else was closed in the UK for a long time. I started running to cope with the stresses of lockdown and being stuck at home all day, home working and home-schooling my children. It was a hard time and running helped me through it.
MS CUNNINGHAM: I started running just 2 years ago in the spring of 2023. I never imagined I'd be a runner, but I was encouraged to try and surprised myself that I wasn’t so bad at it.
MR BARTON: 2013, the half marathon in Bournemouth, UK.
2. Do you train by yourself or with a team or coach?
MS THOMAS: I've never had a coach nor a team. I just run by myself or with my husband or children when I can persuade them to come along:-)
MS CUNNINGHAM: I occasionally train with one other person hiking or running, but most of the time I am on my own.
MR BARTON: Myself.
3. What sports did you do when you were a child?
MS THOMAS: I always liked to move, so I did a lot of different things growing up. Ballet, skiing, athletics, swimming and basketball were the main sports I did. I wasn't the best at any of them, but I enjoyed them all and they taught me so many things about determination, responsibility, team-work and to be kind to myself and my own body because it can do so many amazing things!
MS CUNNINGHAM: I tried a few sports growing up in Canada, but my family never really pushed me into athletics. I didn't have the confidence for it back then, although I probably would have been pretty good at sports if I did. In high school, curling became my main sport. It requires both physical ability and mental strategy which is a fun and challenging combination. When I was in college, I regularly worked out at the gym as a way to cope with the stresses of life. On the weekends, I took training and became a certified group fitness instructor which I taught for 12 years.
MR BARTON: Football and badminton.
4. Which of our personal goals do you think running requires and how? (adaptability, resilience, empathy, responsibility, teamwork, etc.)
MS THOMAS: Resilience. I found running really hard at first and I had to work on my endurance. After a while, I started loving it and feeling like I needed to go for a run to release energy or stress.
MS CUNNINGHAM: Above all else, taking on what challenges you head on requires determination. If you have determination, you can do a lot of big things. When it comes to physical activity, the body is amazingly adaptable and the mind gives you the will and the want to keep going. So determination is first and foremost, along with self-awareness and the courage to go beyond what is comfortable in order to do something more.
MR BARTON: Resilience, it isn't easy. You cultivate a personal discipline.
5. How often do you train, does it require special dietary restrictions, what equipment do you need?
MS THOMAS: My biggest outdoorsy love is mountain hiking and you can find me on Sljeme most weekends. I do some strength training at home with resistance bands and dumbbells and I usually run 1-2 a week after work now it's getting lighter. They don't pay me to say this, but I love Asics running shoes but that's about it in terms of running equipment! I never skip meals and always make sure I keep my energy levels up. Eating properly for any sport (and for school) is so important and I feel lucky that I was raised to eat healthily so have stuck to that without thinking too much about it, to be honest.
MS CUNNINGHAM: I only run on average maybe once a week. My first love is power hiking, but running is fun too. I also work out at home and believe it's important to train the body in different ways to be stronger and reduce potential injuries. I don't follow a special diet, but I do plan my drinking and eating times before an activity so that I am fuelled but not full.
MR BARTON: Every 2 days if working towards a race, building the time up depending on the length of the race e.g. 5k, 10k. You need a good pair of trainers. Diet leading up to a race has to be foods that don't bloat you and make sure you hydrate.
6. What has been your biggest challenge in running so far? Something that was very difficult to conquer?
MS CUNNINGHAM: Minor injuries and blisters, running uphill and against the wind, continuing to push when my body wants to quit. The biggest challenge is trying to find other ways to stay active when the weather is too cold to go outside.
MR BARTON: Doing half marathons, the training for those, up to one and a half hours running and having to constantly do that over a period of time to prepare.
7. Have you had any running injuries? How difficult is it to recover?
MS THOMAS: I have an old knee-injury from skiing, and had to have surgery when I was 14. I run with a knee pad to protect the knee. Physio is a wonderful thing and the body can usually recover well if one sticks to the exercises and builds up strength and mobility gradually.
MS CUNNINGHAM: I have had only minor injuries which I fix with home remedies. Otherwise, I have done my best to mostly ignore injuries and train through them. Sometimes it takes a few months, but eventually my body adapts and heals because it realizes I'm not going to stop.
MR BARTON: No.
8. What's so special about running a marathon?
MS THOMAS: I have only ever run half-marathons, but I absolutely love the camaraderie and the atmosphere - it really feels like we're all in this together even with complete strangers!
MS CUNNINGHAM: I've run in one official half marathon event (Zagreb21) with no plans to run a full marathon. The cool thing about an organized event is that it brings so many different people together who share the same interest and choose to face this kind of challenge. I admit that passing other runners during the race is gratifying.
MR BARTON: Sense of achievement.
9. What's your favourite running track or location?
MS THOMAS: The Advent-run in Zagreb - many of us teachers did it together a few months ago. People run in Santa hats and some are even in full Santa costumes. It is not competitive at all and is just a really fun event supporting different charities every year.
MS CUNNINGHAM: I enjoy hiking and running on several trails on Medvednica, mostly between Talani and Hunjka. But sometimes a simple 10km flat run from Črnomerec to Jarun and back is nice.
MR BARTON: Through flat trails in the woodlands.
10. Which races and successes make you the proudest?
MS THOMAS: I am proud of having done a few half-marathons. 21 km seemed like an impossible distance when I started running, but it's like everything in life - you just gradually add a little bit of extra distance (or learning) and, before you know it, you are achieving and knowing things you didn't think possible! Step by step is quite literally the key. :)
MS CUNNINGHAM: I've only raced in two organized events: a 30K trail run and a flat half marathon. Both were challenging, but the 30K was especially demanding and I feel proud to have completed it.
MR BARTON: The three half marathons ran in Bournemouth, UK and the good times I completed them in! E.g. 1 hour 39 minutes, 1 hour 43 minutes.
11. What is your message to anyone interested in running?
MS THOMAS: Just do it! It can be hard at first but it's free and you can do it anywhere, anytime. I also like to pack my trainers when I travel and have run in many different places in Croatia and other countries.
MS CUNNINGHAM: I would have to say just try it. Bury any beliefs that tell you you can't. Get good footwear because that is your primary tool and will save your feet. Push when you can push -- you can always slow down or stop if you need to. Follow those who inspire you, but make this all about YOU. Make it YOUR thing. You can invite others to join you, but don't use other people as a reason or excuse for doing or not doing what you need to do. You will discover so many things about yourself, and what you learn you will carry with you throughout life.
MR BARTON: It brings you discipline, can bring you good mental health, keeps you fit and you lose weight. Plus races bring you a sense of community because you're together with like minded people and it's great to be together with others like that, achieving something.
12. How does running make you feel?
MS THOMAS: Exhausted but proud of myself!
MS CUNNINGHAM: Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes I want to quit. But then there's those moments when I feel amazing, agile, unstoppable -- in those moments it's all worth it.
MR BARTON: When you've completed a run you feel a lightness and euphoria, and you feel happy. And it's like a place of solace.
How could you not be inspired by all these wonderful people? What are you all doing still sitting in your chairs? Run, run, run!
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