It’s a big old day for your lovely work mate Vernon as he embarks on his ultra-ultra-marathon challenge for Children in Need. Even just listening to the description of how far his legs have gotta carry him and how quickly is enough to bring me out in a sweat – so all kudos to him.
Those build-up butterflies jittering around Mr Kay and no doubt the rest of his family are being felt simultaneously in our household now; as my husband, Dr Oscar (he’s the one who dishes out the health headlines on BBC1s Morning Live) limbers up to dance, believe it or not, the Argentine tango with amazing Strictly choreographer Maria Tsiatsiani live on this Thursdays’ show, all in aid of the one-and-only Children in Need. Now ultra-ultra-marathons may be in a league several rungs up from the intense embrace and sweeping legs of the beautiful tango, at least where duration is concerned, but what both Vernon and my other half have in common this week is a significant stepping out of comfort zones.
I can’t overemphasize how testing this dance challenge will be for Oscar; he’s the man who adopted the awkward-shuffle routine on our wedding dancefloor before a quick SOS summons to everyone to join and dilute us; we once did a date-night dance class where a simple salsa step couldn’t be grasped before the lesson wrapped up. (Sending lots of luck to you, Maria!) But Dad-dancing jokes aside, Oscar’s tango trial will be especially tough due to a visual impairment he was born with, one which cannot be corrected by lenses, glasses, or surgery. Learning by looking in his training this week has proved tricky for sure!
Vernon and Oscar’s physical feats, and the many danceathons, PE and treadmill challenges before them, take that feeling of wanting to do something to make the world a bit better and act on it - not only are the rewards more than worth it for the many children who rely on the incredible work of CIN, but, I believe, that in the fun and games of the mission or the donation, we are all changed for the better too, playing our part in something bigger than ourselves.
So go well Vernon and Osc, maybe remember the words of St Catherine of Siena, “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.”