Closing the gap

It sometimes takes less than you’d think to make a huge difference…

I was out for a run yesterday when I caught a glimpse of someone in front of me, going about the same pace but quite a long way in the distance. I noticed they seemed to be following roughly the same route as me, providing me with a great opportunity. I now had something to chase, a target to work towards, a gap to close.

I didn’t catch up to them – they certainly had the legs on me as it turned out – but by working to close the gap between us, I cut over 20 seconds per kilometre from my pace. This might not mean anything to you, but let me explain why it should. Without even realising it, without trying to set a blistering pace, or trying to win a race against this person, I had done better than I ever expected. Sometimes it only takes a little extra effort to produce an amazing result. 

I hate to use another running metaphor but this is a running blog so you get what it says on the tin, excuse me. 

At Dragonfly Cancer Trust we have noticed a few gaps: a gap between current healthcare provision and the needs of struggling families; a gap between how big our charity currently is and how big it could be; an emotional or physical gap between scared young people and their loved ones; and, the gap between you and your potential. 

This is the impact your sponsorship will have. 

If you do decide to run for us in September just remember that as you try to close the gap between you and the person in front of you, you are closing others divides too. You don’t need to overtake them, you don’t even need to keep up with them. Just keep asking a tiny bit more from yourself with each step. You don’t need to raise thousands or set a new record for the course, your contributions are just as valuable.

It can take as little as £100 to allow a young person some freedom from their diagnosis or give a family respite from financial and emotional struggle. Often, the gift our recipients ask for, or the contribution that really counts is a ticket to see the England rugby team play, a final fireworks display or simply arranging a party so that all the family can be together. These things are relatively inexpensive but their effect will be felt for years to come, providing a perfect memory, an experience entirely centred around love and togetherness.

Every step you take closer to that finish line brings a sick young person closer to relief, closer to their loved ones. It also brings us closer to reaching our goal of supporting as many young people as we can nationwide, building a foundation for the Trust to work on for years to come. 

Require from yourself the small change that makes a big difference.

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