If you are looking for a run with a positive message and you like to run for a cause, then this is the run for you! The Cancer Awareness run 5km which was held on the 27 October at Mydin Mall organised by the Surgical Department, Hospital Tuanku Jaafar Seremban.

It was a truly an event for the whole family. We had mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, you name it! With times ranging from under 30 minutes to over one hour. No matter how fast we all ran, we all ran together to celebrate the women in our lives and to raise awareness and to honour patients and survivors of cancer as well as the memory of those who died from the disease. Cancer impacts so many lives, and it’s amazing to see so many people come together to show their support!

On race day, ohhhh…..my hometown run. What a treat! But my mum and I still woke up ridiculously early to start fuelling and stretching, but without travel and parking to worry about. My mum, 70 years old and a breast cancer survivor too, was so excited that she was looking forward for this day to come. We couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions for the run. It was incredibly a gorgeous day!

The event started off with a short briefing about Cancer. It was truly a memorable moment for us being there, I am truly blessed to have my mum and daughter, Anjali to share this run and this fight with the rest of the cancer warriors out there! To Jen, Annalee, Dina, Aunty Doris, Nara and all the other warriors out there! Together we can beat it!

Then at 7.00 am , there was a warm up Zumba session by Celebrity Fitness. It was a fun filled Zumba dance routine which I always look forward to before any fun runs. Then at sharp 7.20am, we were flagged off. I did not leave my mum alone, we walked, we ran, we jumped, we skipped, we danced but we never stopped. I was truly amazed and proud of my mum, she did not hesitate neither did she nagged nor grumbled. She battled her 5KM journey with courage and strength! She is truly an amazing woman, wife, mum and what more can I say…… I am truly honoured and blessed to have her in my life and this run will forever be special and will forever remain in my heart until eternity. I am glad that I had the chance to run with Anjali and my mummy! Joanne, my sister, of course we did not forget you. Along the way, we were also busy ‘makcik bawang’ about you…and of course, I was your wake up call again this morning…..(buzzed you at 6am Abu Dhabi time….) Sorry but I Love you sis!

To me, life is not meant to be lived- it’s meant to be experienced!

And all who participated, whether it was by running, walking, volunteering, cheering, fundraising, made the event a success and a ton of fun. It was so nice to care more about our quality time, mother-daughter bonding time instead of keeping the pace throughout the race. We made so many awesome memories, laughed until our sides ached and got some really great pictures.

A great race doesn’t come from a PR or a new attained distance, but more from the memories and lesson you take away from them. As always, I was reminded of how much I love this sport and how special it is to share it with my mum and daughter!

It was a fun and well organised event, too bad that more people didn’t show up but I am hoping that next year, the word will get out! The route was nice, even though the roads were not fully closed but the organisers ensured all safety measures for the participants, there were lots of marshals and traffic police on duty all along the route, water station was well organised. Great little course, fun volunteers, a special thank you to Dr Sathias, for her patience and have been corresponding with me from the start of this event and a nice little running community-what more could you ask and want in a running event~

Behind each participant is a story of love, hope and courage that inspires them to support to the finish line. While reflecting on the many lessons I’ve learned on this journey, the fight against cancer, one of the most important thing is to ‘always do what you are afraid to do’, but remember, whatever you do, means so much more when you do it for someone else!

RUN OVER YOUR FEARS!