How Running helped me rebuild a healthy relationship with sport.

I'm Megan, a frequent member of RunTribe Oxford, and I wanted to share my journey with sport hoping to help and provide some comfort to whoever may be going through something similar to myself.

As a child, I absolutely loved exploring and trying out new sports, I mainly focused on swimming, dance and netball, whilst trying other sports for fun. This was all quickly taken away from me when I started suffering from knee pain, at 12 years old. Unable to move, I become unhappy with myself. This, paired with the diagnosis of my father's cancer, cuased me to turn to food for comfort and to have a sense of control.

As I grew older, the knee pain slowly improved. However, I started to see sport as an opportunity to compensate for the calories I consumed. Despite my efforts, it wasn't enough and I still hated the way I felt and looked. What started off as over-eating changed to under-eating, around the age of 15/16. I was later diagnosed at 17 with atypical anorexia - that meant I had all the characteristics of an anorexia patient, apart from being underweight in accordance to the NHS guidelines.

Getting out of the toxic punishment-reward mindset was not easy. I underwent lots of counselling and had to constantly challenge my comfort zone. Now, able to start exercising relatively pain free, I learnt how to enjoy sport again and not view it in such a negative manner.

One of my first ever runs in April 2023.... a struggle!

Around this time, my father sadly passed away. Little did I know, this would be the start of my running journey. Having signed up for the Oxford half, in memory of him, and with no prior running experience, I began training. Much more confident in my ability to control any negative thoughts, I began to see food as a source of fuel and enjoyment again. Through running, I learnt how to love sport like my younger self once did, as well as seeing it as a way to celebrate all the wonderful things my body is capable of.

I feel like RunTribe is such a wonderful community to be part of as they provide a friendly and welcoming safe space, unlike some other sporting communities I have been a part of. Socialising with other who have also gone through their own journeys is what makes RunTribe what it is :)

Currently love running and meeting so many amazing people!!