We have always been passionate about inclusivity and encouraging owners and their dogs to get fitter together, whether they choose to Canitrek 1k or Canicross a marathon.
To celebrate the International Women’s Day 2022 theme this year, #BreakTheBias, we wanted to showcase some of the wonderful stories of our lovely clients that have done just that. You don’t have to be a runner already to enjoy this sport, it doesn’t matter how old you are or what kind of dog you have it is all about small steps. We celebrate everyone that takes those first steps and enjoys getting fit along with their dog.
Discovering Canicross with hearing dog Evie, following a small stroke.
If you are looking for inspiration to start the sport of Canicross, take a look at this amazing lady and her hearing dog Evie who demonstrate that Canicross really is for everyone. Pru was born deaf and only 9 months ago couldn’t walk after a small stroke. Her canicross journey began with a taster session with a DogFit Trainer in her area.
Pru’s walking stick gave her confidence as she was still getting to grips with the loss of her balance after her stroke. They both signed up for our Canicross Couch to 5K and their dedication and perseverance paid off as this dynamic duo progressed at a rapid rate. It wasn’t long before Pru no longer needed her stick and was feeling much more confident in her abilities to run.
At the final week of the C25K DogFit course, they ran together, continuously for 5K (with a little swim in the river halfway around for Evie). This journey has touched many who followed their progress earlier this year and we are all very proud in congratulating them both in accomplishing this incredible achievement. Such an inspiration, and you can find the whole story here.
How Canicross helped Cat’s battle with depression and anxiety
It is common knowledge that owning a pet and doing regular exercise are good for your mental health. So, it makes sense that taking part in Canicross is a great way to improve your mental wellbeing.
In a frank and honest account of her own personal battle with depression and anxiety, Cat Everard explains how Canicross has played a significant role in managing her illness. Canicross helped here through an incredibly tough time and to this day it continues to be her therapy.
Read Cat’s My Story here.
The difference Canicross can make for children with Autism
DogFit Canicross Trainer, Jenya Tyler brings together her experience of canicross, her knowledge of Assisted Animal Therapy and her Running Fitness coaching to bring outstanding results for children with autism.
Kyami is 16 y.o and has non-verbal autism. When I met him for the first time over 3 years ago when he had to leave school due to them not being able to manage his behaviours. Kyami was not able to go out into the community much, he was nervous around busy and noisy places, scared of buses and trains. He was also scared of dogs.
Read about their transformational journey together here.
How Canicross changed my life at 59
From complete non-runner at 58 to London Marathoner thanks to her dog.
Carolyne had never embraced running and thought it was something that was not for her and was always someone who supported other people, but couldn’t imagine doing it herself.
However along came Ted her Hungarian Viszla who she started her Canicross adventures with. From DogFit intro class to couch-5k, they steadily increased their distance. Carolyne achieved something she never thought possible and ran her first marathon this year, thanks to Canicross and Ted of course.
Read their My Story here, or listen to our podcast with Carolyne here.
Canicrossing with Rescue Dogs
Canicross is for everybody and every dog and running with rescue dogs has always been something that we have actively encouraged at DogFit. We run with rescue dogs ourselves and have supported thousands of new owners to take up the sport.
It’s rewarding to see how transformational it can be, and wanted to share a few stories about running with rescue dogs and how it has changed the lives dogs and helped them find new homes too. You can read more about the journey of these lovely rescue dogs here.
We are hugely proud to have introduced Canicross to so many people and helped change lives for dogs and their owners. We have featured some of these inspirational stories in our My Story section which you can find here.
