As they say in GYD, you can do practically anything. Take me
for instance: I used to like to run alone; eventually, after relentless “WHITE
PERSON!” cat-calls, I decided to let the kids run with me. After 4 miles and
several villages, I was surprised to find that no waterhole spectators thought
twice about a few 7 year olds tagging along. Not only did I have a group of
runners who inspired me to run faster; I had a group of kids that saw
exercising as fun. Because training is
so important (many Ghanaians suffer from diabetes), we often run for a couple
of miles or do sprints on the soccer field. I bought some of the die-hard,
everyday-runners new shoes, but most kids run barefoot – I make it a priority
for them to run with me every day for at least two weeks before I consider
handing out free shoes. I want them to have to work for it; the activity seems
to keep younger boys out of trouble and, though the girls were shy at first, their
numbers have been slowly increasing. I’ve found that I really enjoy it; we
always share giant smiles at the end of our runs … plus, I feel like a
celebrity with body guards – not a single person calls me “WHITE LADY!” without
being scolded by the children: “White people have names.”
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