03/06/24

by Peter Loose

I’m not “doing good” I’m having fun, and I’m pretty sure Roland is too.

Nearly every Monday I go with Roland, one of the L’Arche members with a learning disability, to the Special Olympics training session in Portsmouth. 

Roland (on the left in the photo) is an active person and has a real gift for running. Running is important for me too, so it’s a good fit for both of us. I moved to Bognor Regis three years ago and was delighted to get to know the L’Arche community here, after a lifetime of being and working alongside people with learning disabilities.

The great thing about running with Roland is his sheer joy in the movement. He runs well and fast. But he’ll never actually win a race - because when we run together, he always waits for me to catch up with him before crossing the finish line in second place!

Running with Roland isn’t work, it’s a pleasure.The brilliant thing is that there’s no pressure on either of us when we run together, and so we’ve developed a real friendship.  He has a great sense of humour, and sharing this interest is a good way of being involved.

Fancy volunteering with us?