Champion for Diversity & Inclusion
Champion for Mental Health Wellbeing
First Aider
Mental Health First Aider
LiRF Certified
Fundraiser for Cancer Research UK
Fundraiser for SASH Charity
Fundraiser for Red January
Fundraiser for Sickle Cell Society
Member of Emancipated Run Crew
ERC - Club Secretary
ERC - Run Leader
Member of Hoka Run Club
Advocate of Parkrun
Ambassador for Runna ERCSD
Ambassador for Kyloe in the Wild PARKRUNNERUK15
Ambassador for Revival PARKRUN20
How I started my running journey was really by accident.
After coming out of the lockdown I had put on so much weight and I was the heaviest I’ve ever been 96kg going back to my daytime job after being off on furlough for over a year.
My brother got me a mountain bike to help me lose weight I started cycling going to the local country park and going for cycle rides early in the mornings.
One Saturday morning I came across Parkrun and one of the volunteers advised me it was a weekly event in the park every Saturday at 9am. So I went home and registered and got my barcode and went along the following week.
I thought with the amount of cycling I had been doing it would be a straight forward progression but I was totally wrong and way out of my depth.
My first parkrun was a struggle I managed a time of 41:34 but I was determined to keep going and normally I would have given up and stuck with the cycling but I was determined to keep going and improve my time as of now my PB is 24:34.
I like parkrun because it is a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. parkrun is 5k and takes place every Saturday morning.
I love volunteering and giving back to the running community I regularly volunteer at my local parkrun covering a number of different parkrun roles: Pre-Setup, Finish Tokens, Pacer, Race Course Check & Marshalling. I've now paced 5 race events for London Marathon Events, Limelight's & RunThrough events at the Hackney Half, The Big Half & the Royal Parks Half.
I have used the power of movement whether it be running, cycling and all other forms of exercise have helped me lose weight and help with my mental well-being.
The feeling I get from running or exercise I find it helps me clear my mind and destress. With the help of regular exercise I now feel I have the correct balance in life and am looking after my mental wellbeing.
My progress has been immense from 96kg to 80kg in the space of a year from starting off with parkrun 5K to 10K to a Half Marathon to the London Marathon.
Friends Family & work colleagues have seen my progression through running and are approaching me to ask how I started running and how I’ve lost weight and advice on how to start losing weight.
I have used my new found passion for running to start fundraising for many fantastic charities I have always donated to good causes if people were raising money in the past but never actually raised money myself for charities.
At the start of my running journey I joined the Emancipated Run Crew (ERC) they have helped me to develop & become a better runner they are committed to creating a virtual space where black & brown runners can encourage and support each other. Their group is open to all abilities.
Looking to train much harder this year and improve on my PB’s and see what I can achieve.
Goals for this year I want increase my presence on my social media platforms so I can use them to talk about diversity & inclusion and also mental health wellbeing. I also want to complete my Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) qualification and hopefully become a brand ambassador.
Personal Best Times
1 Mile - 17:22
5k - 24:34
10k - 49:14
10 Mile - 1:24:54
Half Marathon - 1:54:56
Marathon - 4:36:38
Ultra Marathon - 9:01:52
Medals Tally
1 Mile 🏅 x1
5k🏅 x 4
10k 🏅 x 20
10 Mile 🏅 x 5
Half Marathon 🏅 x 10
Marathon 🏅 x 3
Ultra Marathon 🏅 x 1
Fundraiser 🏅 x 5
Races completed & booked for 2025
2021 - ASICS World Ekiden
2022 - London Winter Run 10K - 1:11:14 🏅🏅
2022 - London Vitality 10,000 - 1:02:02 🏅
2022 - Run Gatwick 10K - 1:03:19 🏅
2022 - Hackney Moves 5K - 0:28:34🏅
2022 - Race for Life 5K 🏅
2022 - The Big Half - 2:24:55🏅
2022 - London Marathon - 5:18:13🏅
2022 - Richmond Half - 2:14:59 🏅
2022 - ASICS World Ekiden
2022 - Chase the Moon Battersea Park 10K - 1:10:59 🏅
2023 - Tadworth 10 - 1:50:51 🏅
2023 - London Winter Run 10K - 52:15 🏅🏅 PB
2023 - Hampton Court Half - 2:04:15 🏅
2023 - I Run You Walk Collective 2K - 🏅
2023 - WWRs Shamrock ☘️ Challenge 5K - 🏅
2023 - London Landmarks Half - 1:55:19 🏅PB
2023 - London Marathon - 4:36:38 🏅PB
2023 - MSMW - East Grinstead 10 Mile - 2:17:55 🏅
2023 - MSMW - Haywards Heath 10 Mile - 1:41:43 🏅
2023 - MSMW - Burgess Hill 10K - 1:13:13 🏅
2023 - Black to the Trails 10K - 1:08:10 🏅
2023 - Hackney Moves 5K - 29:12 🏅
2023 - Hackney Half Marathon - 2:19:25 🏅 2:20 Pacer 2:g
2023 - Chase the Sun Hyde Park 10K - 54:01 🏅
2023 - WWRs 8th Anniversary Run 10K - 1:05:57 🏅
2023 - ASICS 10K - 59:36 🏅
2023 - Chase the Sun Clapham Common 10K - 59:37 🏅
2023 - The Big Half - 2:14:13 🏅 2:15 Pacer
2023 - London Vitality 10,000 - 59:17 🏅
2023 - Royal Parks Half - 2:19:58 🏅 2:20 Pacer
2023 - Nepal 🇳🇵 Run 10K - 58:04 🏅
2023 - WWRs 12 Miles of Christmas 🏅
2024 - Chase the Moon Battersea Park 10K - 1:08:21🏅 1:10 Pacer
2024 - Crystal Palace 10K - 1:09:27 🏅1:10 Pacer
2024 - London Winter Run 10K - 49:14 🏅 PB
2024 - Runderbolts Treasure Hunt 6K 🏅 PB
2024 - London Landmarks Half - 1:54:56 🏅 PB
2024 - London Marathon - 6:05:18 🏅 6:00 Pacer
2024 - MSMW - East Grinstead 10 Mile - 2:04:47 🏅
2024 - MSMW - Haywards Heath 10 Mile - 1:46:24 🏅
2024 - MSMW - Burgess Hill 10K - 1:08:16 🏅
2024 - Black to the Trails 10K - 1:11:46 🏅
2024 - Hackney Moves 5K - 25:03 🏅
2024 - Hackney Half Marathon - 2:18:51 🏅
2024 - Race to the Stones 50K Ultra - 9:01:52 🏅
2024 - The Big Half - 2:18:36 🏅
2024 - The Big Mile - 17:22 🏅
2024 - Palma Mallorca Half Marathon - 2:35:49 🏅
2024 - Fulham 10K - 57:31 🏅
2024 - Chase the Moon Battersea 10K - 53:53 🏅
2025 - London Winter Run 10K - 51:22 🏅
2025 - Brighton Marathon
2025 - Crystal Palace 10K
2025 - London Marathon
2025 - Battersea Park Half
2025 - Bijlmer Run Half Marathon
2025 - The Big Half
2025 - The Big Mile
2025 - Vitality 10,000
2025 - Cardiff Half Marathon
I had so many fantastic opportunities last year and hopefully more in the pipeline for this year - Being a speaker at The National Running Show with ERC and giving a talk about my running journey "Zero to Hero" becoming a pacer for RunThrough events, becoming an ambassador for Revival and being given my own discount code PARKRUN20 being invited to run for the HOKA Team at the London Winter Run and also being a London Marathon Events pacer at last years London Marathon.
Hoping to do more Volunteering Running Pacing Cycling Hiking & Marathon abroad.
.png)
Parkrun Stats
🎟️ Stephen D'Souza (A7109700)
🏠 South Norwood
🏁 Run 132 parkruns 💜❤️🖤
💜 Volunteered 25 times 💜
🎉 First ever parkrun 28-08-2021
Parkrun Tourist 72
🌳 South Norwood 🌳 Banstead Woods 🌳 Crystal Palace 🌳 Bushy Park 🌳 Tilgate 🌳 Highbury Fields 🌳 Dulwich 🌳 Brockwell Park 🌳 East Grinstead 🌳 Mile End 🌳 Thames Path, Woolwich 🌳 Roundshaw Downs 🌳 Clapham Common 🌳Peckham Rye 🌳 Peckham Rye junior 🌳 Fulham Palace 🌳 Wimbledon Common 🌳 Wanstead Flats 🌳 Southwark 🌳 Charlton 🌳 Greenwich 🌳 Hilly Fields 🌳 Ally Pally 🌳 Finsbury Park 🌳 Gladstone 🌳 Tooting Common 🌳 Burgess 🌳 Catford 🌳 Beckenham Place 🌳 Gunnersbury 🌳 Sutcliffe 🌳 Lloyd junior 🌳 Victoria Dock 🌳 Beckton 🌳 Old Deer Park 🌳 Riddlesdown 🌳 Bromey 🌳 Kingston 🌳 Bethlem Royal Hospital 🌳 Foots Cray Meadows 🌳 Northala Fields 🌳 Lloyd 🌳 Hoblingwell 🌳 Bexley 🌳 Barking 🌳 Stockley Country 🌳 Southall 🌳 Valentines 🌳 Osterley 🌳 Hackney Marshes 🌳 Bedfont Lakes 🌳 Luton Wardown 🌳 Richmond Park 🌳 Crane Park 🌳 Canons Park 🌳 Harrow 🌳 Walthamstow 🌳 Morden 🌳 Wormwood Scrubs 🌳 Hanworth 🌳 Hampstead Heath 🌳 Raphael 🌳 Bedford 🌳 Harrow Lodge 🌳 Lordship Recreation Ground 🌳 Pymmes 🌳 Grovelands 🌳 Sunny Hill 🌳 Orpington 🌳 Battersea 🌳 Oak Hill 🌳 Nonsuch 🌳 Jersey 🌳 Ingrebourne Hill
