@footprintscec
2 YEARS AGO TODAY… I WENT COAST TO COAST ↔️
192 miles. 7 days. Across the North of England.
Incredible to think back to that moment, stood with my feet in the water, knowing I’d just completed something that would change so much more than I could ever have imagined.
Lots has happened since. The good, the bad and the indifferent. That’s life. But I had the mindset, the courage and the determination to give it a go and to see it through. I’m still incredibly proud, not just of the achievement, but of the indescribable difficulties encountered, endured and ultimately conquered along the way.
Some of the biggest battles you face are the ones nobody else ever sees.
When you strip away the noise, the distractions and the expectations of others, you’re left with yourself. Your thoughts, your doubts and your vulnerabilities. No applause, nobody to impress. Just you, putting one foot in front of the other and finding a way to keep going when stopping would be so much easier.
It’s in those moments you discover who you really are.
I’ve never really sat down and explained everything that journey meant to me. Perhaps I never will, and I don’t need to. Some experiences are deeply personal, and their value doesn’t depend on anyone else understanding them.
The C2C, despite me not talking about it very often, taught me lessons that will shape the person I am until my very last day.
It taught me that character matters more than image, kindness means more than popularity and showing up when nobody is watching says more about you than anything you could ever post online.
It taught me that you don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need the courage to be honest with yourself, accept your vulnerabilities and keep working on the person you want to become.
Most importantly, it taught me that SUPERFICIAL IS BORING.
I have far more time for real conversations, genuine connections and people who mean what they say. For those who show up when it matters, celebrate others without jealousy and offer a hand without expecting anything in return.
We live in a world that places so much importance on appearances, status and the impression we leave on others. When life gets difficult, none of that means much. What matters is who you are when things go wrong, how you treat people when there’s nothing to gain and whether the person you present to the world is the person you are when nobody is looking.
REAL beats PERFECT. EVERY SINGLE TIME.
I’m not the same person who stood in that water two years ago. Life has tested me in different ways since, and there’s still plenty to learn. But I carry those 192 miles with me every day.
Not because I came away believing I was invincible, but because I learned I didn’t need to be.
I just needed to be willing. Willing to try, to fail, to feel uncomfortable and to face the parts of myself I might otherwise have avoided.
Two years on, I’m grateful I took that chance. For the challenge, the lessons, the perspective and the person it helped me become.
The real achievement was never just getting from one coast to the other. It was discovering a little more about myself along the way.
Life is too short to live for appearances, too precious to waste chasing approval and too meaningful not to make a difference where we can.
Be real. Be kind. Be grateful. Keep showing up.
192 miles. 7 days. Lessons that will last a lifetime…
#justDOingit
#DOrunning #CoastToCoast #PersonalGrowth #RealOverPerfectView quoted post on X
