By Helen McKenzie-Fairlie
Imagine winning a prestigious award. When Ian Watson heard that he had just won the Heart Foundation’s Australia-wide Golden Shoe award he wanted to tell the world.
It was an amazing achievement. The Heart Foundation received 450 inspiring nominations from walking groups across Australia.
The Above and Beyond Award is presented to a walk organiser who goes the extra mile (literally and figuratively) to help others, and this time it was Ian’s turn to win.
How did Ian become an Above and Beyond walk organiser?
Ian has dedicated the last six years to founding and growing the Mighty West Heart Foundation Walking group from three faithful walkers to a vibrant community that meets regularly for walks, coffee, and friendship.
According to the famous British author, C.S. Lewis “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny”.
Ian never imagined he could start a walking group, let alone be an “above and beyond” leader who genuinely cared for each member. He was an ordinary guy who had worked in retail and retired but when he faced a serious health crisis, he found the courage to step outside of his comfort zone and start a walking group under the Heart Foundation’s umbrella.
He envisaged a western suburbs community walking group that would, over time, become as a family, sharing their life journeys. In the past six years friendships have been forged, lives transformed, and lost confidence restored.
Members testify to feeling supported, being connected to each other and belonging within a caring community which they may not have found otherwise. None of this could have happened without Ian’s shepherding of the group, knowing each member by name, keeping his flock safe, making sure no one was left behind.
Ian realised that as the walking group grew numerically, new challenges emerged. The dynamics of the group were changing as new people were finding their feet within the group. Friendships within the group were shifting. Ian’s eye was quick to discern those personalities that could upset the harmony of the group as a whole and unbalance its wellbeing. Years of retail management and holding teams together enabled him to gently restore the group’s harmony and members’ wellbeing through encouragement rather than censure.
Although Mighty West Walkers is primarily a walking group that walks together and has a coffee and chat together afterwards, Ian hoped it would also fulfil a purpose in people’s lives that no other walking group fulfils; ensuring new walkers are welcomed, looked after while walking, and included socially during coffee. Mighty West Walkers is a kind and caring family that is gradually reaching those parts of the community that have felt the hard edges of life and need the kindness, care, and concern that the walking group has to offer. This is Ian’s dream for the walking group. A dream that is still in the making.
Congratulations Ian, the West is proud of your walking group achievement.
