Why Are They Running?.... Amy: Gold Coast Marathon

Just a few days to go - what a weekend coming up! Another of our runners who seems to keenly return year after year is Felicity's step-mum, Amy. This year Amy has stepped up to take on the full 42.2km marathon for the first time and has this to share with us about why she is doing it:

I have been running for a 3 years now and can safely and proudly say I love it (some may say I might be a little addicted to the sport). When I tell someone, especially a non-runner, what I did that morning in preparation for the marathon this is what they hear: My alarm goes off in the morning, I roll out of bed, get myself into my running gear, lace up my shoes and head out the door. I reach my half way point and turn around to head home or complete my circuit and come home. Sure I probably worked up a sweat or might have some sore legs at some point but I am fit so surely I can get it done. Right?
What really goes on:
I am reluctantly woken by my alarm clock at 4am, convince myself to get out of bed, get rugged up in compression tights, singlet, top, jacket, socks, sneakers, head band, hat, arm band, gloves, earphones, stocked fuel belt, set my phone running app on to track pace/distance/time etc and head out in the freezing (sometimes pouring rain) dark of the morning and clock up 30+ kilometres. Over those kms I track my pace and time in fuel Gels and sips of water from my drink bottle to help keep me going. Most of these long runs seem to end in a slow, chaffed shuffle up my driveway to my front door to quickly stretch out my screaming tight and tired muscles before having a warm shower then waking my sleeping hubby and kids ready to have breakfast and start a normal day of school and work. When said this way, I agree, it sounds like a horrible way to start the day but after the initial groan at the early alarm (I am NOT a morning person) every step is a step closer to a new goal. A step closer to reaching an aim. A step closer to a personal best. Every single run, wether it's a tough one or not, I come home proud of myself!

Felicity has been working in her Son-Rise Program for 7 years now. On a daily basis Felicity needs to take on all the day-to-day tasks you and I do like dress herself: Choose an outfit, take off your PJ's, maybe have a shower, dress yourself. You do this every day so surely you can just get it done. Right?
What really goes on:
Wakes up, gets out of bed in a dark disorienting space, makes her way to her bedroom door, bangs on the door until someone seems to appear and open the door. Walks to bathroom and uses the toilet. Depending on what PJ's Felicity is wearing she can undress herself but buttons are tricky. Have an adult choose an outfit for the day. Concentrate on every muscle in her body to balance herself while an adult helps her into her clothes one item at a time. Felicity, like a small child, would happily not wear warm enough clothing for the winters weather so it is up to us to be sure she has socks on her feet or a jumper on. Wait for someone to then brush her hair and tie it back to be out of her face. It sounds like a slow and tough start to the day but every single morning no matter how early she woke or how rushed we may be, Felicity will always give you a smile for helping her and doing what she wants. She is now one step closer to doing this for herself. One step understanding the process better.
Training for and running a race, especially a long distance one, is very similar to helping Felicity with her challenges in life. You need to be persistent to be successful. You need to take the bad with the good. You need to learn from yourself & others to move forward. You need to show up wanting it. You need to allow rest days. You need to be proud of achievements and goals reached, celebrate them, no matter how small and then set new ones.... This is what I find myself thinking about ALLOT when I am out running and what I will have in my head and heart Sunday as I tick of the kms until the finish line.
Sure, a marathon is a HUGE milestone and effort. For someone to complete the 42.2kms even just once in their life time is commendable and beleive me when I say I don't think I will be able to wipe the smile off my face for days and days afterwards but for Felicity every day is a a HUGE effort, with hundreds of tiny little milestones reached, and she does it with a smile on her face!!

What a way to look at it! Run Amy, Run - we will be cheering loudly for you from the sidelines!!!!!
Support Felicity through sponsoring Amy's marathon run HERE!!

2013 in full swing.... Where we are up to now!

Ummm excuse me, is it June already?!? My apologies for some serious blog neglect here but life is rather busy and has been swallowing us whole!

Alrighty, so where are we up to in our Running The Marathon Of Autism calendar for 2013 you must be wondering.
We have seen our first event of the year already happen a few weeks ago thanks to Amy and Julia running the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon for Felicity. both of these runners took on the 21.1kms event for the second time and crossed the finish line tired & sore but with smiles on their faces.
RESULTS:
JULIA - 2hrs 5min 50secs
AMY - 2hrs 1min 29secs

So what is next?... in just 3 short weeks is our next event and it's a biggie - The Gold Coast Airport Marathon!! This event has a bunch of differnet length races over the weekend of July 6th-7th and three of our team will be a part of it. Renee will be taking on her favourite event on the Saturday, the 10km, and is aiming for a PB. Word has it Renee is training hard and be sure we will share a few of her thoughts in the lead up with you over the next few weeks.

Also running on the weekend will be Craig and Amy. These two are taking on the full 42.2km marathon for the first time on the Sunday and have decided to do it in Felicity's name - Awesome! Both of these runners are deep in training and have some stories to share about their experiences (how many of you would be willing to get up at the crack on a cold morning and go for a training run that takes 3hours?!? Huge effort!!).
We also have the Sydney City2Surf, the Melbourne Half marathon and the Sydney Blackmores event with runners taking part for Felicity later in the year so 2013 is looking good!!
Again, sorry for the lack of blog posts but strap in now because they are in the works :)


xxx

Why are they running? - Amy Half Marathon 2012

It's automatic to assume that I, Amy, am running my first ever Half Marathon next week FOR Felicity but the truth in the matter is I am running BECAUSE of Felicity and I thank her for that... let me explain what I mean.

I am Felicity's step mum and I am mum to Felicity's half sister Milla and half brother Harrison. What I have learnt in the short time I have been honoured to be in this role is that if these three people are happy in their life there is nothing more they will need. They can choose to be well paid, uber educated lawyers OR fit, fab and healthy athletes OR struggling artists one day - who knows! But if they are doing it with a smile in their heart then what more could I ask for? I get asked by lots of people "how is Felicity?" and I can only assume they want to hear me reply with "she is doing so well, she now has X amount of words and any day now we will have her enrolled in a typical school and her Autism is a thing of the past" Of course I will be thrilled to one day tell people that, but what I have learnt and am continuing to learn is what I reply with: "she is happy" and for any parent/step-parent that is perfection!
Anyone that knows Felicity will tell you she is one cheeky, bubbly girl who is ALWAYS smiling no matter what is in her way. Seeing this shine through her for the past 6 years that I have been Felicity's step mum has made me realise that I need to always search for what makes me happy and DO IT! Happiness is a choice!
Enter running. It started as a little 'fitness kick' to loose a bit of baby weight - I did and I was happy. Then I realised I kinda liked this running stuff - so I keep doing it and I was happy. I ran my first ever official race last year when I took on the City 2 Surf - when I crossed the finish line I was happy. I run most mornings which wakes me up (I'm NOT a morning person) and gets me in a good mood ready to start the day with my family - that makes me happy. I have goals set to better my times/distance/pace - I beat them and I am happy. I WILL run my first ever Half Marathon in Felicity's name - this will make my heart happy. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't feeling 'un-happy' before all this but I wasn't happy with my weight, I wasn't happy with my grumpy mood in the mornings when there is such a better way to be with my gorgeous family, I wash't happy being an unfit mum who would rather sit and watch my kids instead of run and play with them, I wasn't happy with feeling unattractive to my hubby but what I am trying to say is Felicity and her Son-Rise Program has helped me learn that you need to find whatever it is that makes you happy and do it - that 'thing' for me in the past 2 years has been running..... it might not always be running but for now it is and I will run next weeks 21.09km Half Marathon race with a smile in my heart knowing I am doing it for myself - What an AWESOME thing to be able to say!
Thank you Felicity for being such a gift to my everyday and I will be delighted to run this race for you in the hopes to raise more more for your Son-Rise Program xx

I'd LOVE your support for next weeks race if you are able. Be sure to pop over to our DONATE page HERE for ways to sponsor me!!

Maryke's Melbourne Marathon Countdown!

This year the Melbourne Marathon that our gorgeous friend Maryke will be taking on AGAIN for Felicity falls on Felicity's birthday - Good omen?? We think so!!
On Sunday October 9th Felicity will be celebrating her 11th birthday while fearless Maryke will be taking on the 42KM race through Melbourne's streets!!


Maryke would love all the support she can get in the form of sponsorship donations for Felicity's Son-Rose Program. Click HERE for all the donation options and details.

Only 27 sleeps away - the count down is on! Run Maryke Run!!

Why is Jocelyn running for Felicity?

I'm running for Felicity to fundraise so we can continue the fantastic improvements in her life due to the Son-Rise Program.
I've known Felicity all her life and have seen the massive positive impact the Son-Rise Program™ has had on her. This will be my 4th City 2 Surf and running for Felicity inspires me to get up early or to get my butt off the lounge at night once my girls are in bed. Together we can help Felicity reach her potential in life!

I'd also like to spread the word of this program and potentially change peoples lives who are affected by autism. So if by running in The City To Surf I can do that - I'd be thrilled! My training is coming along great and I'm ready for a PB in this event. Bring on the Half Marathon! - Joc



To Support Jocelyn and all our runners by donating just click the below button - Thank you!

Up, Up, Up!!!

Let's play a little game. Image that you had a small book, lets say its a hard cardboard one like a small children's book. Now wherever you are right at this moment, while reading this, take a look around the room/office/space you are in and find a spot for that book to go 'Up'. Be creative & fun. Imagine you were doing it for the entertainment of a child. Would it sit on the light fitting? would it lean against the wall above the window? do you think it would stay balanced on the edge of the bookcase? could you tie it to the curtain?

One of Miss Felicity's most favorite things to do at the moment is to put things 'Up'! She could spend days and days just challenging us to find a spot 'Up' somewhere to put an object of her choice.
Felicity will grab an item like a ball, a toy, a hair brush, a shoe, a cup, a piece of paper, a puzzle piece, a hat, a pillow - absolutely anything! Then with her HUGE beaming cheeky smile she will hand it to you an say "Up" - this is where we come into this awesome interaction that Felicity loves oh so very much. With that random item we find ourselves balancing, hanging, leaning, clipping to and tying it from any spot that we can that is 'Up' above Felicity's eye level.

People effected by autism have a need to do 'repetitive behaviors' or 'Stims'. Most autism intervention programs teach you to try and stop these behaviors. The Son-Rise Program has taught us that by JOINING Felicity in her repetitive behavior we can make a connection with her, on her level and build a real relationship from it - AWESOME!



Recently Felicity's dad, Matt, was so very, very proud of the 'Up' efforts he had made with the items Felicity requested he put 'Up', while they were playing in the playroom, that we actually took some photos to show you.


Yes, that is actually a little wooden toy sitting INSIDE the balancing Mr Potato Head toy!! & check out the blocks balancing on top of each other on the window hinges!!




Not bad hey? This just makes Felicity's day and the interaction we can build on and teach her just from doing this simple task motivates us to put things 'Up' for her more and more!!

Consult with Carolina from The Autism Treatment Center

Hi, I'm Matt, father of Felicity, and I wanted to share what I learned recently on our last conference call to The Autism Treatment Center of America.

Every three months or so, we regularly link up with Carolina in Massachusetts via Skype, to talk and discuss Felicity's program.

Even though its nearly 3 years since first learning about The Son-Rise Program, I continually find there is still more to discover, and I found that was certainly the case from our last link-up.

I have heard many other people make the same comment about The Son-Rise Program, saying that it is a gradual continuous learning process. The reason for this, I believe, is that through playing with our child in the playroom, what we are learning about is ourselves. So in a very real way, Felicity is teaching us about ourselves. This is a real gift.

In preparation for our latest consultation, we made a couple of short videos of Felicity and I playing together one evening. We send the videos across to Carolina, who then views them before we have our link-up.

Thankfully, the time difference at this time of year means that we can talk together in the mid-late evening. During the Australian summer, we start in the late hours and end in the early hours of the next day!

I was a little apprehensive when we sent through the videos because I knew that I have had much "better" sessions in the playroom than this one, which felt a little "flat" in some sections. However, if I am going to be honest and get the most from our consult, then it would be best to send through the "good" and the "bad".

Sure enough, Carolina picked up on this and we got to discuss what I can do better when challenges arise. To pick a specific point, there were a couple of times when Felicity was asking me to put some of the puzzles back on the shelf when she was finished with them. Each time Felicity would ask me to put them "Up" and I would respond by doing so.

I was respecting where Felicity was at in that moment - she wanted to get that puzzle put away, and after that we would move on. But it did not feel like we were playing together. I felt like I was just an extension of Felicity, and she was using me as an instrument.

The challenge is how can I build this interaction of putting this puzzle on the shelf, into a playful game with even more interaction between us?

So Carolina, like she often does, started to workshop and brainstorm with us to try and come up with things to try that would interest Felicity and draw her in to a little playful game or even an imaginative idea, as small as it may be.

Felicity has a deep love for the physical and slap-stick tickles her funny-bone, so we came up with balancing the puzzle on our head, spinning a puzzle piece on our node, or dancing our way to the shelf along with a playful song.

The theme behind each idea is to extend the interaction that little bit more, and to show Felicity that we are here to play with her, even if she might not be that interested to play with us at the time.

Of the two people in the playroom, it is the neuro-typical person (that's me) who is more likely to be initiating social interactions more often. So even though we allow Felicity to lead the activities in the playroom, it is role of the facilitator to build the interactions as much as possible, and hence to take ownership and to lead the social interaction inside the playroom. This was the main idea that was reinforced for me from our consult.

This idea is not a new one for me, and I had known about it before. But somehow I had let this slip out of my routine. Or had I become too routine, and forgotten this key idea?

Are there areas where I could challenge myself to grow? It has also been said, that as we learn and grow ourselves, we give our children more freedom to grow as well.

This is one of the big reasons that having regular consultations with the experienced team in the US is recommended. I particularly find sending the video through and getting feedback to be very useful, and helping to get me on the right track for Felicity's program.

I look forward will be putting what I learnt into practice in the playroom.

Introduction to Son-Rise Program® with amazing teacher Sean Fitzgerald

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a 3 day course on the Son-Rise Program® in Melbourne to do a bit of a refresher and it has given me an entire new perspective on Felicity. I thought I new the basics, but it seemed like I was listening with new ears because Felicity has changed so much since I last heard this information and there was an amazing new depth to it. I am so motivated and have some great new ideas to use.
I met amazing people, including the Melbourne network of families who are using Mega-meeting to meet regularly each fortnight and stay connected. Some of the volunteers I also met are truly amazing individuals and they inspired me to search for more volunteers for my program. Sean presented the Son-Rise concepts and principals in an easy and interactive format.


If you ever get a chance to attend one of Sean's seminars, run don’t walk! They are not to be missed!
I am so glad I went and I also got to stay with my beautiful girlfriend - Maryke and reconnect with her wonderful family who I had not seen in tooooo long!
With love and enthusiasm
Tanya (Felicity's Mum)