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Psychology lecturer inspires colleagues with love for open water swimming
Mirjam Brady is a keen swimmer who lost access to swimming pools when they closed earlier this year because of Covid-19 restrictions. Having been a regular at the pool, visiting every day, it left her feeling down when she could no longer go.
Her husband bought her a wetsuit and she went swimming in the sea and said it was like her personal lockdown “was no longer happening” as a result of being able to return to the water. Mirjam praises the River Dee for the impact it made on her mental health during lockdown.
Mirjam took time out after her daily swim to update her colleagues on a Facebook page set up to encourage staff wellbeing. She regularly posts about how much nature and exercise are helping her in this difficult year and encourages her colleagues to join her in getting out and about in the great outdoors.
Mirjam said she did not know how important exercise was to her mental health until she was unable to swim.
She said: “I’m a regular pool goer and before the pools shut I never realised how important that swimming is for my mental health.
“When I could no longer do that my mood gradually went down.
“After about two months my husband got me a wetsuit and I went into the North Sea near Bridge of Don and that was great.
“I felt like lockdown was no longer happening for me because I could do what I love doing.
“It feels like you’ve got your head in a bucket of ice water but here you have all the wildlife like seals, salmon and ducks.
“There is also a great spirit among the Swim Free Aberdeen folk and every single one of them is a lovely person.
“We all talk afterwards about what we saw out on the river and you don’t get that in a swimming pool.”
Mirjam will continue to swim every fortnight until December to raise funds for the River Dee Trust. For more information on the Mirjam’s fundraising for River Dee Trust’s Million Trees Campaign visit https://bit.ly/2SgvvHP
Staff walk, cycle and run 525 miles to raise funds for students
Anna Johnston, Sally Middleton, Chris Sojka and Emily Hoey of the University’s Access and Articulation team have raised over £525 towards the Covid-19 Bursary Scheme set up to help students through Covid-19.
The team, who work closely with students in difficult circumstances, pledged to travel 525 miles by either walking, running or cycling before term began in September. They achieved this and more and continue to raise funds towards the scheme.
Sally Middleton, Access and Articulation Manager, said: “We know that most students will suffer financially this year but the students that we work closely with are more likely to be seriously affected. Many rely on part time incomes to support their studies and in some cases, applicants are now wondering if they can afford to start University. As a team we wanted to do something to support the group we work closely with and between the four of us we committed to travelling 525 miles by walking, running or cycling between now and the start of term.
“The money raised will go towards the COVID-19 Bursary Fund which our students will be able to draw on to help them through this difficult year. The University marked its 525th Birthday this year which is why we chose our target of 525 miles!”
To support the team’s fundraising efforts visit https://justgiving.com/fundraising/widening-access-UoA
University careers advisor runs 12 marathons in 12 months
When University of Aberdeen careers adviser Kate Robertson set out to run 12 marathons in 12 months, she knew it would be a challenge - but she never expected to contend with a global pandemic, lost luggage, hastily re-planned routes and even a doping test.
Kate began her year-long endeavour in December 2019 and despite the additional hurdles, completed her final 26-mile race on 7th November 2020, raising more than £5,000 for the Aberdeen neonatal unit.
Kate had expected to end her ‘year’ with the New York Marathon but instead she took to the streets of Aberdeen dressed as the Statue of Liberty as she ran from the University of Aberdeen to Stonehaven, taking in north-east memorials and statues to mark Remembrance Sunday.
Her 12 marathons have taken on some creative forms as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions and her friend and colleague Tracey Innes, Head of the University of Aberdeen’s careers and employability service, was drafted in as last-minute support – running in nine of the 12 races.
Kate said: “Things began well with the Malaga marathon in December but by the Doha marathon in January, things had become a bit more complex!
“Tracey and I were in Qatar as part of a visit to the University’s campus there but unfortunately our luggage didn’t arrive with us. It meant we had to go out the night before the event and hastily buy brand new kit. You really don’t want to be running that far with brand new gear, but we were lucky and it turned out to be great.
“Despite the torrential rain I came in as the 10th woman. Unfortunately this meant a two and a half hour wait for a doping test which was quite unexpected as I was a full 90 minutes behind the elite athletes and just running as an amateur!”
By April it wasn’t possible to meet with other households or to go more than five miles beyond your home so Kate turned to her local farmer for help. He gave her permission to run around his field and so she completed a marathon distance in 23 laps, once again supported by Tracey who ran on her treadmill at home and the pair video called to report on progress and encourage each other.
Kate ran the virtual V-E Day marathon in May and in June stepped up the challenge another gear – taking on the 95-mile virtual West Highland way, which she ran the first 26 miles of to tick off marathon number nine before completing the rest over the following 7 days.
July followed with a marathon around Bennachie, in August Kate was able to take part in an organised socially-distant race in Milton Keynes where she was visiting family but struggled in the 30 degree summer heatwave and in September she took on the tough Lairig Ghru mountain pass from Braemar to Aviemore.
For October she ran the virtual London Marathon taking a route from Aberdeen’s neonatal unit, which initially inspired her challenge, back to Stonehaven.
Kate said: “I started the challenge to raise money for the neonatal unit because my own daughter Emily, who is now eight, received treatment there.
“Going from the Unit to Stonehaven was her first ever journey. This is special to all parents but even more so when your children have needed intensive treatment so young.
“I’m delighted people have been so generous in helping me to raise money for such a valuable cause. I set out to raise £3,000 but the total has now exceeded £5,000 which is wonderful.
“It must be even harder for those going through this difficult journey of neonatal treatment during the Covid 19 pandemic and I hope that the money raised will help to support them in some way.
“I’m glad to be reaching the end of this marathon challenge but I couldn’t have got through it without my family who have helped with the ever-changing arrangements and Tracey, who has run nine marathons with me without ever intending to!”
Donations to her challenge can be made through Kate's Just Giving page.
Inspirational Elaine raises more than £28,000
The legacy of an inspirational charity fundraiser has now reached more than £28,000 in support of cancer research at the University of Aberdeen. Former library worker Elaine Shallcross, who spent 24 years at the University, dedicated her final years to raising vital funds to support potential new treatments for the disease.
Elaine passed away on the 10th June, just four months after she launched the Shuvit Cancer campaign. Despite undergoing gruelling treatment for breast cancer which had sadly returned after several months in remission, she committed to learning a skateboarding move called a ‘shove it’ (or shuvit) despite never having stood on a board before.
Elaine’s cancer escalated and she never got to perform the stunt, which she had aimed to do by what would have been her 69th birthday on 10th July. To mark the day and all her efforts, skateboarders from around the world committed to undertake the manoeuvre, which involves a 180 degrees board spin under the feet without it hitting the floor, on what is now being called World Shuvit Cancer Day.
The University’s Development Trust will be ‘cheerleading’ their efforts wearing the Bressie Beanie hats knitted by Elaine as part of an earlier fundraising effort to support the work of the University’s cancer research led by Professor Valerie Speirs.
Catherine Shanks, Community Stewardship Officer, explains: “Elaine’s fundraising began on a fairly small scale, she saw the beanie hats in the Winter Olympics and decided to start knitting and she also took part in the Aberdeen Kiltwalk with her daughter Jenny, raising several thousand pounds.
“But Elaine didn’t stop there, she wanted to do more and despite her own illness, began the Shuvit Cancer campaign.
“Her initial target was to raise £10,000 which she had found out was how much her treatment had cost. On February 11th – the
525th anniversary of the University – she smashed through that target.
“It was truly inspirational to see her attempting to learn this difficult manoeuvre on the skateboard all while undergoing arduous treatment herself.
“Elaine was an absolutely exceptional woman whose kindness enriched the lives of all those who met her. You could not help but be inspired by her commitment and determination to create something good from a situation that was so difficult for her personally.
“She was absolutely passionate about supporting the important breast cancer research underway at the University in the hope that future generations will not have to face the challenges that she did.
“This enthusiasm was infectious and her legacy will live on and inspire many of us in the fight against this horrible disease. We will wear our beanie hats with pride to show she is in all our thoughts.”
Tributes to Elaine, who retired from her post as Information Consultant at the library after 24 years in 2016 but returned on a part-time basis in February, have been made across the University.
Donations to the Shuvit Cancer campaign can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bressie
Elaine’s knitted beanies are also available to purchase by emailing giving@abdn.ac.uk
Stronger for the Storm
A Military Wives Choir and the famous baritone Sir Willard White joined an 82-year-old services veteran, an NHS doctor and hundreds across the world in lending their voices to a Scottish initiative bringing the word together in song.
They have all supported iSing4Peace, a project developed by University of Aberdeen Director of Leadership Programmes Neil Mclennan, the project saw singer-songwriter Fiona Kennedy lead a global chorus on Remembrance Sunday.
Singers from around the world were invited to perform and record a new work by Kennedy, royal composer Paul Mealor and lyricist Grahame Davies from the comfort of their own homes in the hope that their song, Stronger for the Storm, will bring people together at a time when social distancing and isolation has affected so many.
This is now being crafted into a charity single by producer Calum Malcolm who has worked with Mark Knopfler, Simple Minds, Big Country and Blue Nile, to raise funds for the British Red Cross (Disaster Fund), the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL), Aberdeen’s VSA and the University of Aberdeen’s Development Trust.
It is the latest musical venture for members of the Kinloss Military Wives Choir, which formed in 2012 and has since release four albums. But like so many performers, they have been forced to cancel more than 20 concerts this year.
Kinloss Military Wives Choir singer Lorna Alexander said “Music has been proven to help release feel good endorphins and helps with memory and lifts the mood, all of our ladies have said that often after coming to choir they feel lifted and ready to tackle the rest of the week, whatever it holds. “The lockdown brought about by Covid19 has meant that we have had to change how we operate. We haven’t all met in person since March, and like everyone, we are finding it hard.
“It was with this in mind that we were excited to read about the #iSing4peace project. A chance for us to support a project that benefits the military and do what we love to do, singing.”
Sir Willard White also spoke on the ability of music to bring people together in difficult times. He said: “Music is a very important and strong language for communication. One of the wonderful things about music is that it touches emotion immediately. Each tone that is uttered or played on an instrument strikes up a memory in each person.”
Kennedy’s version of Stronger for the Storm will premiere on Classic FM on Remembrance Sunday.
She added: “It is wonderful to see the range of recordings coming in to iSing4Peace from all over the world.
“At a time when it is important to remember what unites us, rather than what divides us, it is heartening to hear so many people coming together through the world’s universal language, music”
Mike completes home ultra-marathon challenge for NHS after heart surgery
Mike Raffan, team lead for the University’s server team has completed a 106-mile ultra-marathon to raise funds for the NHS - just seven weeks after undergoing major heart surgery.
Mike, whose achievement is made all the more impressive given the farthest he has been able to run in the past year is eight miles, has raised more than £2000 for the Glasgow Golden Jubilee Hospital, as a thank you to the medical team who looked after him so well during his surgery.
A graduate of the University, Mike took up running 11 years ago when he decided to take part in the Inverness 10k alongside colleagues in the IT department.
Last year, however, Mike noticed that he was finding it hard to breathe while running uphill, as though there was a weight on his chest. Over time, it got harder and harder and he sought medical advice.
“Tests revealed that I have an anomalous right coronary artery from the opposite sinus with an intermural circuit, which basically means I was born with my right artery growing out of the wrong place,” said Mike.
“The surgery I needed was too specialist to be done in Aberdeen, so I had to go to Glasgow Golden Jubilee Hospital. I had the operation on February 25 and was out of hospital after just three days. The nurses on the ward were not sure about discharging me so early as they had never let anyone out in less than four days – the preference is seven. However, I passed all their fitness tests and the surgeon said it was ok for me to go.”
After just 10 days, Mike went for a slow two-mile run with his wife Annette keeping an eye on him.
“It’s only been in the last two weeks I have started running properly again. I relied on muscle memory and stubbornness to get me through the challenge. The run was slow. Stopping every 50m to turn around was like doing a bleep test for 27 hours.”
Mike, who is a member of Newburgh Dunes Running Club, is still signed off work and has been spending this time socially isolating with Annette, who also works at the University, and young daughter Flora.
Rowett Institute helps with home schooling
The Rowett Institute has contributed to a range of educational resources to help with home schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a partner in the SEFARI (Scottish Environment, Food, Agriculture Research Institutes) group, the University of Aberdeen institute has shared educational activities to benefit teachers, parents and learners.
The free resources – created by the six SEFARI partners - allow children to become diet detectives, try being a farmer and even learn how to manage a forest from the comfort of their own living rooms.
The Rowett Institute provided material to support education from P2 to S3 with a focus on food.
Learners can become more aware of the journeys which food makes from field to fork and learn about seasonality and sustainability, investigate food labelling systems to help them make healthy choices, and undertake practical exercises to help them identify the key nutrients in what they eat.
Resources created by other partners cover a wide range of complementary topics including the environment and agriculture.
Dr Michelle Wilson-Chalmers, Research and Communications Officer at SEFARI Gateway, said: “The unprecedented health crisis posed by Covid-19 means home schooling has become essential and SEFARI is working hard to ensure our educational activities are made readily accessible online to help.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have access to hundreds of experts across a variety of topics who are passionate about education and enjoy creating fun resources that aid learning.”
Dr Julia Mitchell, Head of Knowledge Exchange, Impact and Communications at the Rowett Institute added: “Many people are juggling work, schooling and other commitments at the moment and so we are delighted to be able to offer our educational resources to assist in home learning.
“The food that we eat and its journey to our plates is an essential part of everyday life and a topic that people of all ages can engage with.
“The Rowett Institute would normal undertake school and public events but current restrictions mean we are unable to do this so, thanks to technology, we are delighted to be able to offer these virtually and as part of a complementary suite of learning with our SEFARI partners."
Many of the activities are available now and can be accessed at https://sefari.scot/document/online-education-resources-table. Additional resources will be added over the coming weeks to ensure ease of access.
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