EVERY volunteer has his or her unique relationship with Care2Run. And each of them has their own reasons for wanting to invest so much of their time, energy and resources into the different programmes.

For volunteer mentor Regina, though, the answer to why she keeps returning, time and time again, is easy: friendship.

“These kids are my friends,” she says. “I keep coming back because I want to see them. I don’t want to lose contact with them.”

Regina, who is in her early twenties, has been volunteering with Care2Run since late October 2018, and even though she readily admits that mentoring hasn’t been without challenges, it’s clear to see the strong bonds Regina has forged with her mentees, many of whom think of her as a big sister.

We’ll let her tell you more about her experiences with Care2Run.

Hello there, Regina. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi. I was born and brought up in Melaka and I came to Kuala Lumpur about four years ago when I enrolled in university. I currently work with Bursa Malaysia as a data analyst.

How did you get involved with Care2Run?

I think it was the second week after I joined Bursa when I first heard about Care2Run. I’d joined the sports club and there was a message in the club WhatsApp group asking if anyone was interested in volunteering with Care2Run for the Allianz-Pacesetters Relay. It sounded like something interesting and that’s why I signed up.

Did you have any experience with differently-abled young people prior to joining us?

Actually, I didn’t have any experience with differently-abled children, but I thought I wanted to come and see how I could help. I always wanted to volunteer for causes, but I never had the time. What made me actually curious about Care2Run was that it makes use of physical activities like running. I wanted to see how running could help kids with differences. I think it appealed to my interest in running and also my desire to want to do something constructive.

You said running interests you. Are you a competitive runner?

I was an athlete when I was in secondary school. I represented my school at district level in 3-5km events. But I hadn’t run for about four years until I joined Bursa, and then later when I started volunteering with Care2Run. In Melaka, I used to run around my housing estate, but I didn’t run at all when I moved to KL … until last year.

Can you tell us a little about the young people you’ve worked with?

My first mentee was Chu Kian. I found him to be really cute and helpful. He’s a really smart boy. I came back the next week, and the week after that because my first experience with him was so good. Of course, now I know that not every mentee is the same. For example, it was very difficult for me to communicate with Yen Yen at first. But once she started responding to me, it made me feel like I had accomplished something major. I’ve also worked with John, Ika and Bremen. Bremen is really intelligent. And he has a really good memory. He knows a lot about general knowledge, locations, and also politics.

How do you personally feel Care2Run helps differently-abled young people grow?

To me, Care2Run is a really great programme for young people like them to interact with each other, and people outside their circles or families. Personally, it’s because of Care2Run that I got to know all of them. I don’t think I would have managed to meet so many great young people like them if not for Care2Run. The activities also help young people with differences build confidence and unlock their potential.

You’ve been very generous with your time and resources since joining Care2Run. What makes you want to contribute so much?

Actually, I feel I should contribute more. To be honest, I think I’ve benefited so much from being involved. Physically, the activities help me stay active and run. But more than that, I’ve gained friends, and learned a lot from the participants. I didn’t have any experience with differently-abled young people before, and now I know that every one is unique