Hello friends,
Having lived in two cities means finding a sense of belonging and my “people” has been the most important part of feeling grounded in a new place. I like to think of it as finding people that speak the same language as me.
I met Dora early in my London days and while we didn’t spend that much time together, it was clear that we too, spoke the same language.
Dora is a runner and passionate advocator and educator of movement. She’s driven by making sport accessible to all, while creating safe spaces for people to train and try new things, all while doing it in a fun and approachable way.
In this edition, we chat through Dora’s running journey, her thoughts on community and founding Ultra Black Running, and developing a sense of self through her creative expression.
I hope you’re expanded and inspired by this wonderful human.
Grateful to have you here,
Tish
T: You were never a runner, what’s the story there?
D: I got into running via Boxing. A friend invited me to a Boxing class and I was super nervous as I’d never tried Boxing. The class was HARD, but I absolutely loved it and could not wait to come back. Months went by being a regular attendee at the class and naturally I wanted to improve so the coach mentioned running. I was NOT interested. Long story short, I gave it a go. It was a longgggggg ride trying to like it or feel like a ‘runner’ but fast forward - here I am today, a running coach.
T: Let’s chat expression - can you speak to the evolution of expressing yourself through fashion/hair colour/your aesthetic (ps. I love that about you)
D: I was always a shy and quiet kid, so looking at my style and expression over the years has been quite hilarious to me! How to blend in the crowd, I don’t know, maybe dye your hair neon green Dora, that’ll do it.
As a new runner, I wanted to fit in but I knew that not showing up as myself would be going against who I really am. I am a huge lover of Nike clothing. The colours and prints were always the first items to go on sale, and I love me a bargain so that is what I would purchase first, then I realised, hold on…I actually look good in this stuff and it makes me feel like ‘me’. I’m a house raver and I feel it’s reflected through the bold prints and loud colours I wear, similar to house music which I believe is a feeling rather than a genre. It’s basically like shopping for a rave outfit but you’re actually going on a run. Great, I feel at home. I have found my ‘style’ and I'm sticking with it, hun is in her own lane.
“This space (Ultra Black Running) allowed me to express my feelings of joy, hurt, stress and happiness”
T: What does community mean to you?
D: Community for me is everything. The running scene is really something like no other! Community comes in various forms. During lockdown, I created and launched a trail running collective called Ultra Black Running - a space for Black Women and Non-Binary People to come together and experience the joy of trail running. This was super important to me at the time and still is. In June 2020 the world experienced a global uprising and we saw the Black Lives Matter movement finally come to the forefront.
It’s no secret that this was a traumatic time for Black people around the world, but for me, life became tough as a lot was going on in my personal life (break-ups, pandemic and all that)! I just wanted to run free and for people that looked like me to validate my feelings as a Black Woman in this world.
Having this space was a response to a feeling and as a result, turned into a beautiful community that is striving for the same thing - representation and a sense of being in the world. This space allowed me to express my feelings of joy, hurt, stress and happiness.
The wider running community literally keeps me going. I don’t often voice that but it’s something that they need to be made aware of! Most of the time I really struggle to get myself in the mood for just about anything, but with these amazing people by my side, it allows me to just keep showing up. I also realised I’d been craving a seat at the hypothetical table so instead, our community shattered it and created our own. Sometimes we hate running and that is cool - let’s meet for a coffee and a rant, or a workout, or both. We’ll probably end up still talking about running, but I truly feel like the running community has merged into my wider community of creatives, like-minded individuals, and people I genuinely want in my life for the long run.
“You never know what superpower can be unlocked through movement!”
T: Tell us about your journey of being a teacher in this world and what it means to you
D: I have been coaching and teaching children and youth for about 15+ years now, and upon reflection, I feel like this is what I was destined to do (don’t mind the cliche). I always thought I would end up being a teacher in a school or something, which I felt I’d love. I’m really grateful to still be educating people and now it’s through the movement that I love the most, with brands that also align with me and allow me to truly be my authentic self! This helps me prove to people that you never know what superpower can be unlocked through movement! For me, I started Boxing to become fitter, but really, it opened my eyes to the running world and now I am a running coach, (and fitter).
Here’s a video if you’re wanting to get into running
Listen to Dora’s chat on increasing diversity in trail running, building a community, working as a Nike Running Coach, and running the Speed Project