UR Enough Charity Sweat: Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
We are going to tell you right now, we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. We just knew that everything that we wanted was on the other side of fear -- fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of not being enough.
Four months ago we had this 'small' idea: we wanted to run in the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon, raise a little money for an organization, and bring a small team of individuals together who have all faced their own type of adversity. You know, we just wanted to have some fun?!
Well now here we are, standing amongst a group of some of the most fearless, strong, and inspiring people that we know, we have beat our goal of $15 000 and have collectively raised $16 319.50 for the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, and somehow we have just ran 42km. Reflecting on every coffee-shop meeting, every hour-long brainstorming phone call, every late-night email, every fundraising event hosted, every defeating setback that we have had to overcome that would lead us to this exact moment and resultantly surprise ourselves in the process. Since launching UR Enough people have said, "Oh, I could do something like that. I could create a platform like yours." If that is the case, why is it that more people aren't? What is it that is limiting us? Owning our story and loving ourselves through the process is the bravest thing that we could ever do. We know that not everyone is going to get it, but there is a dire need for people to recognize their 'enough-ness'. With mental health illnesses on the rise and our own worth being based on the number of 'likes' we receive, people aren't appreciated for the trials that they do face and in the midst of their struggles they feel shame for being human. But watch what will happen, the magic that will unfold when you give a person just enough comfort to be themselves. For us, we feel lucky everyday to have found each other, both crazy enough to pursue something like this. But you don't need to create a platform to show compassion and give society's view of 'perfection' the middle finger. You just need to be a human.
““The truth is: Belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing you are enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable and imperfect.” ”
Just because the marathon is over, by no means does that mean that you are done hearing from us. This race was the base of our Everest. We have grown to discover and learn that acceptance and self-love has been placed on the back burner for many individuals, and we want to help change that. We plan to continue shining light and conversation to topics that are rarely discussed -- highlighting the stories that make us most human. It might expose our vulnerabilities but it will sound like truth and feel like courage. Together we can be the force of change and use this platform to pave the way to a world where self-love, acceptance, and belonging is the norm.
And because we haven't said enough, last weekend was pure magic. We still can’t quite comprehend the magnitude of what happened. Not only was there a community of individuals that came together to cheer and celebrate one and other, but an entire city. It was a reminder of our capabilities as humans.
