Adrianna Pearce

Final few km's for premmies

My final 3km for raising money for premmies, I walked around my favourite North Adelaide parklands with one of my good friends. It was a beautiful day and we walked and talked. 

Lock down - house + garden running

So the last few days in Adelaide we have had a hard lockdown, so I got my mini me (Lilli) and we ran laps around the house and garden. We worked out that 13 laps equated to 1km....so the two days of lock down we did an easy 1km jog. 

The Government has now cut short the proposed six days and now we are free again and free to exercise as normal! 

I am excited as I have exceeded my financial goal, and only have a few more KM's left. 

Little me - reflections on World Prematurity Day 2020

Wow when I wrote the date 2020, just then in my heading, I really am feeling a bit emotional about my life and how I have made it to 2020....I am sure my parents would have been happy on the day I was born that I had made it to 1984!

TODAY is World Prematurity Day, a day to recoignise all the fighting, amazing little babies that were born too early and have fought to stay alive, and those that just were too young or too sick to be saved. We think of all the parents, families and friends that are to impacted by a premature birth. 

I am just so fortunate that I have had no health issues as a result of being born at 24.5 weeks gestation. When I really stop to think about that, it is nothing short of a miracle. Through the COVID experience I did come to learn I have damage on my lungs, (that I never knew about), although this has never been an issue for me at all, in fact I never get any bronchial infections, and I am so healthy not having even had a cold in five years (touch wood). I atleast I would have thought that I would need glasses or maybe have asthma as a result, but amazingly NO health issues at all. In a way being so healthy and recently finding out about my lung damaged, it has motivated me to get fit, for the first time in my life. I am pushing my body and seeing it slowly get fitter, week on week (this is my sixth week of gym and jogging). I give thanks and live with gratitude everyday for my amazing life, that could so easily not have existed.  

So on this World Prematurity Day, as I find myself self reflecting, looking at this photo of me as a tiny baby barley alive, really as cliché as it sounds it pushes me forward in my life to live with purpose and make the most of it…..I do not want anything mediocre!

 

I am also thinking about my film school days, where this image appeared in my documentary……When I did my Masters in Fine Art Film,  I made an inspirational doco that explored my birth, and touched on my insights and desires to live a meaningful life. At the end, I did a voice over to camera and said "I want to hep others". Now this was ten years ago, and my career to date had been in advertising, marketing and PR, so I wasn't sure how I was going to help other people and make a difference in the world (well at least my little part of it). Flash forward to today and I am in the early years of running a Not For Profit with my amazing Co founder. We are a friendship program that connect people for friendships, with a special focus on across generation friendships. We know how important it is to have a friend who is either younger or older than yourself. We reduce loneliness, we aim to keep people in their own home longer by providing social networks, we advocate for older people in the community and we hopefully increase happiness. (www.uniity.com.au) or #uniityfriendships on facebook.

So what was meant to be an acknowledgement of prem day, has turned into a bit of an essay, so in conclusion, I guess everyday I am alive I give thanks, I try to live gracefully and be kind and true to myself, and I am happy. I hope I make a difference in my part of the world, and raise confidant and happy children, to express myself creatively and to enjoy all that life has to offer. At the end of the day we only get this one life, and none of us know how long for, so let’s live it up!  xxx

Run Forrest RUN

Today we did the pre school drop off for Mr 5 and Lilli (Miss 3) and I went for a jog/walk to our local playground. I was laughing to myself as three years ago no one would catch me in active wear, and I only wore it on the rare occassion I needed to. Fast forward to today and I am just starting on my fitness journey but I move my body everyday. I was laughing internally as felt so sporty with jogging buggie, active wear, fit bit and new nikes! Totally sporty spice.......

I jogged Lilli to the local cafe area, and we got fresh carrot and orange juice and a croissant (because balance right?). 

Don't you just love it when you are in the right place at the right time? We met a really nice lady and she is a nanny in the area and so we may have just found a back up babysitter! woo hoo....Festive Season come at us! (On and COVID please leave, before you ruin all the end of year plans)......

We also saw some local friends who are part of my Not For Profit (wwww.uniity.com.au). Lilli saw Nola's pets, two small dogs (Molly and Rosie), and a galah named Jack. Nola had baked some treat which Lilli accepted semi gracefully, before scoffing it all in front of the adoring pets, just waiting for a crumb to be dropped. It was so cute. 

We then ran into another neighbour and I felt such a sense of community. We are loving all the painted stobbie polls in our area too, they really lift the aesthetics of the streets. 

We managed to do nearly 5kms and it was easy and fun, with all of our stops along the way....a nice mix of jogging and walking. 

That's enough from Sporty Spice! Until next time. 

"Premature babies are the biggest achievers in the world"

As dad says: "The dedication and abilities of the doctors and staff at the Queen Victoria Hospital is world standard but they need money to keep their work up". He continued to say:

"Adrianna may be your daughter or your grandchild and to see a tiny child struggling to survive makes you appreciate how valuable the hospital is to SA".

I am not the first in my family to contribute to this life saving equipment, I am grateful to my parents and how their fundraising would have saved many more tiny lives after mine. 


 

Day 2. Beach scenes.

Day 2 and I got the chance to run (and walk) along the beach at Brighton and Seacliff. It was actually a 31 degrees day but that didn't stop me. I lived in QLD for five years so a bit of heat doesn't bother me. It was really beautiful and there was hardly anyone else around on the footpath (not surprising), but the beach busy of course! 

I am currently reading Sarah Wilson's - "This one wild and precious life" in it she talks about how hiking has saved her through many hard periods of her life. She also makes mention about famous creatives and writers who have had their greatest ideas and amazing insights from the process of hiking/walking and being immersed in nature. I got reflecting on my own writing and WHAM out of nowhere the next series topic of my children's booked popped into my head! It is an amazing feeling to get clarity from walking/running, I never know what solution I will arise at, or else what "nothingness" will occur, as in those moments, I have the opportunity to zone out, from mum role, and NFP role and just be in the present moment. 

But more on Sarah Wilson and her inspiring insights in another post, I feel! 

Today was 2.92kms which felt good! Onwards and upwards. x 

Day 1 - Running for Premmie babies - This girl is RUNNING

Day One. I decided to start my run in the beautiful parklands in North Adelaide. I had plans that day so I didn't have long.....But I started off slowly and did 2km...(I did walk some of it and stopped and started a bit).

It was the most still and balmy morning, even at 8am you could tell it was going to be a perfect day. As I started to jog, I was feeling pretty sentimental. I kept thinking about how lucky I was in my life, and when I felt a bit puffed out, I kept running that little bit further. I mean I survived all odds and fought to stay alive, when I was born, I can run a few hundred meters! This thought process would spur me on (even as cliche as it may sound). 

I can't wait for my next run! I bought a FitBit today, so it is GAME ON......

Thanks everyone, this girl is off and RUNNING x