Throughout the countless lockdowns Victoria faced over the past two years, it quickly became apparent how much our YMCA community missed one another. Most of our programs and services were closed, which meant we couldn’t support our staff and members to be healthy, happy and connected like we usually did.

We thought we’d keep up with the times and organise a virtual event where our community could connect with each other. While we were at it, we thought we’d raise money for a good cause as well. That’s how ‘Get Outdoors for Open Doors’ came to be, a virtual 5km fun run where all funds raised went towards YMCA Open Doors.

Running on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October 2021, staff, members and patrons from around the Y were encouraged to sign-up, donate and most importantly get active. The entry fee was a $20 donation to YMCA Open Doors, an initiative that funds community programs and subsidises the cost of YMCA services for those who need it the most. Participants could shoot for a personal best (PB) time, or just take a stroll around their local park, as long as they completed 5km.

To keep things exciting, we had some fun prizes up for grabs! The grand prize for the fastest runner was a MyZone MZ-Switch Heart Rate Monitor. We also gave out some door prizes such as Melbourne Zoos family passes, to make sure everyone felt included.

Overall, 92 people signed up from all over the Y with our centres from the City of Casey having the most staff members participate.

Nick Carter, Shane Holt and Sean Cavanagh were the stars of the weekend making the first, second and third fastest times.

Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre staff member and keen runner Nick Carter had a solid game plan for the day. This included planning his path out in advance, and constantly checking the weather. We can’t fault his technique though since he came through as the champion of the weekend.

I usually run around four to five times a week. So I did a long but slow run on the Friday to not exert myself too much. I also made sure to get plenty of sleep the night before. I had already picked a flat route around the Yarra River and saw that the weather conditions would be perfect around 7:30am - so that’s when I went on my run. The only thing I forgot on the day was my headphones, but it was nice to take in the sounds of the Saturday morning instead.” Nick.

Shane’s run was the biggest surprise of the day as he had just returned from a break from training.

My main challenge was returning to running after two months of not much exercise. I completed a few 5 and 10km runs in the lead up to the day to test my fitness and make sure I was fit enough for the day. On the day my fitness wasn’t at its peak but body was fresh and I gave the run everything I had. I was so exhausted at the end of it that I spent most of the afternoon resting on the couch.” Shane.

Sean Cavanagh’s time earned him a PB!

My brother and I met up on the Sunday, which couldn't have been better weather. We ran along the Maribyrnong River and he was my pace guy and kept me on track. We pushed hard to the finish in the last 500 meters and I managed to shave 50 seconds off my PB thanks to his help.” Sean.

But the win wasn’t all that mattered to the boys. Nick works firsthand with those who utilise YMCA Open Doors funding so has seen the impact it has on them and the wider community.

I have been lucky enough to see the impact Open Doors has on the community first hand. To be able to give those less fortunate the opportunity to access our great facilities at the YMCA is so amazing. I hope Open Doors continues to flourish well into the future and continue to make such a massive impact to people’s lives.” Nick

Being active is important to Sean as it helps his physical, mental and emotional health. Knowing that not everyone has the ability or access to be active, Sean is passionate about removing barriers, and access for all, and was happy that his PB went towards a good cause.

For Shane, as well as being thrilled that his run supported an awesome cause, this event also gave him the motivation to get back into training again.

Overall the event was a great success and we raised $1840 for YMCA Open Doors.

We are looking forward to using these funds to help people experiencing disadvantage access our programs and services. Following the most recent lockdown, we saw an increase in people needing physical, mental and emotional support. With the funds raised from this event, we will be able to help these people become healthier, happier and better connected.