• 5 refugees took on their first ever half marathon in Leeds
• The refugees got to meet Rob Burrows and Kevin Sinfield pre race
• They were also presented with kit, trainers and their race bibs
• The runners went from the couch to 13.1 miles and we saw London come in, in 16th place and Alnazir come in, in 44th place!

What?

Coopah’s refugee run club started to provide everyone the chance to run, race in major events and get access to personalised coaching.  Coopah are delighted to partner with Run For All to help five local refugees complete the Leeds Half Marathon in May.  To ensure the runners smashed their training, Coopah partnered with My Place (Yorkshire) and local legend Mick Melia (Inclusivity Champion Of The Year) who works closely with the Leeds based refugees ensuring they get access to weekly exercise each week whilst also offering high quality support and accommodation to look after young people. They specialise in working with unaccompanied minors. The project has a nurturing and therapeutic approach, recognising that the physical and emotional well-being of young people is paramount to them reaching their full potential.

This was the first ever race that these refugees had ever done but when Pete went for a 5km shakeout run with them, he knew there was lots of hidden talent here but he could have never imagined the results which came from this.  London ran his first ever race in 1 hour 23 minutes and came in 16th place whilst Alnazir also ran a 1 hour 28 half coming in, in 44th place whilst the other three lads all ran very respectable times and all finished within the top 40%!

Why?

Coopah believe that by giving Refugees access to a sporting goal and a community of others to support them we can help:

• Them integrate into society by attending events and accessing local sports clubs.
• Meet a wider friendship group and network through the club and through participating in sporting events.
• Improve their physical health; giving them confidence, helping their focus and concentration.
• Add structure to their day; the Club gives them a purpose to get up and helps them stay motivated through some incredibly tough times.
• Improve their communication skills; exposing them to new people and providing classes to focus on communications.

For more information or if you are interested in a story please contact Peter Cooper on peter.cooper@coopah.com.