London Mermaids - Khara Mills

​I’ve never written a blog before, let alone a guest one! This all came about because I thought guest blogs and other interesting or useful links might be a good addition to the Mini Mermaid Running Club UK website. Then this happened...

Hannah Corne:
Great idea about blog. I've never written one but would you like to be one of the first guest bloggers?
Khara Mills:
Ha, omg, now you’ve got me! Nor have I, I’ll think about it though and maybe I can try to write a bit about my London Sport ambassador thingamy!

So, you can find out about my involvement in the London Sport #LDNMovesMe campaign here. I’m enjoying trying to encourage more people to get active and I hope I’m a good role model.

Maybe it would be good to blog about some of the things I’m passionate about; running, Mini Mermaid Running Club, food, running, volunteering with GoodGym, parkrun and junior parkrun, running, pilates and more recently yoga, running and more running. They don't all sound that interesting now I’ve written them down and if you’re reading this you probably know about MMRC UK any way! Here’s a link about GoodGym and I might blog about that another time if Hannah will have me back!

I generally have plenty to say, which is why I agreed to write this. I’ll talk to almost anyone even if it’s just saying hi when I’m out running. I’m also sure to make eye contact with people when I’m out and about in general, simply because if they need to ask for help for any reason, they at least know I will have seen their efforts to communicate. Mobile phones have a lot to answer for regarding lack of actual person to person communication these days and that’s just within families or groups of friends, let alone the wider general public. Look up every now and again, someone might need you.

Something I’ve noticed over the last few years is that a lot of what I have to ‘say’ stays inside my own head. I talk through stuff with myself all the time, sometimes it’s a full on debate, sometimes it’s about managing my Chimp; mostly it’s me actually talking to myself as if I’m trying to say it to someone else. I think most of the these conversations would be useful for other people or at least interesting, be that advice about being more active or what to eat (I work in nutrition with fitnaturally) or even how over the years I’ve worked towards a more balanced life and how this is so important for body and mind health. But something holds me back from ‘putting it down on paper’, or speaking with people, and certainly from going into very much detail. I worry that I’ll sound smug, that I’ll offend, that it will fall on deaf ears or not be anywhere near as interesting as it all sounds in my own head! I wonder if I feel the pressure, that there just isn’t enough time these days to have the longer ‘proper’ conversations, and if fitting stuff into 140 characters on Twitter is all people want...

I started coaching the Mini Mermaid programme in November 2016 at Newington Green Primary School. My biggest revelation has been how it helps ME! Ha, I know, I volunteer to help others and that is what I do, but by taking girls through the amazing thoughtful evidence-based curriculum and introducing them to the feel good factor involved in being more active, I’ve realised that this is the most effective way to truly make a difference and ‘be heard', and there aren’t many things that make you feel better about yourself than helping others. It’s not really about the words or how to craft what you’re doing, it’s about turning up, putting yourself out there and giving a bit of you - sometimes more sometimes a bit less, it doesn’t really matter. I’m DOING, I AM a positive role model and I’m able to help others find a bit more balance in their lives. I feel comfortable knowing I’m able to do good and help others in some way, simply by giving my time and showing them I care and am willing to listen, which doesn’t need any words at all. 

High Fins!
Khara