This Q&A with Ayo Akinwolere is the inspiration you didn’t know you needed
Ayo, you’re a multi-hyphenate: You hosted the British children’s programme Blue Peter, covered sports, including the Olympics and do investigative reporting. You learned to swim in just 10 weeks, set a world record for swimming the deepest part of the ocean, and then set up a program to help others learn to swim. You’re also involved in things like helping corporations become more culturally aware. How do you describe yourself?
Fundamentally I’m a changemaker – I want to bring change to the world. For example, my business partner and I have just started to run a production company. A lot of the stories we’re interested in are around hopeful themes and balancing inequalities. What I like to embody is: how can we do things differently? How do we bring people in? How do we give hope to people who want a voice?
Ayo Akinwolere takes a run
© Courtesy of Ayo Akinwolere
What made you agree to host the Why I Run podcast?
I did the Wings for Life World Run broadcast last year, and the individual stories that we got to connect with were eye-opening. The podcast sounded like a wonderful way of getting those kinds of individual stories out there.
How have you been finding it so far?
It’s been great. The vehicle of running can open up so many different avenues, and it’s a great way of bringing us all together. That’s probably one of the most beautiful things I love about it.
Can you give us an example of a guest you’ve talked with?
The other day I was lucky enough to interview Charlie Dark. He started the Run Dem Crew in London, a running crew, and I was part of that at a pivotal point in my life. I had been super depressed, but running helped change that and gave me a sense of community. I’d never gotten a chance to speak with him one-on-one, so it was special.
Charlie Dark
© Simon Roberts
Your co-host Erin Azar has been applying ideas from the podcast guests in her own life. Have you experienced that, too?
Yeah. As humans, sometimes we need to dig deep and think, “How can I be a better version of myself?” And these podcasts are really showing us this. Take Sandile Mkhize from South Africa, the way he takes every day as an opportunity to make himself better. This is a guy who was on the precipice of a modelling career when he had a motorcycle crash that changed everything. Now he isn’t able to use part of his body, yet he’s teaching himself to do things like swimming. It made me think about how I deal with disappointments and shows me there’s more that I could be doing. It really gave me a boost.
Sandile Mkhize
© Mpumelelo Macu/Red Bull Content Pool
The Why I Run episodes are leading up to the Wings for Life World Run, which will take place on May 8 to raise funds for spinal cord research. If you could close your eyes and picture a dream lineup, who would you see?
It's about movement – however you are able to do this – so it's people doing their very first run, people doing 5k, all the way to ultrarunners… and also people who might not be able to "run" in conventional ways. Spinal cord injury affects every ethnicity globally, and people everywhere can help raise money for the common cause.
Speaking of global – you were born in Nigeria, grew up mainly in Birmingham (UK), currently live in London and travel the world for your work. Will you be running yourself this May, and if so, where will you be?
I'll be running in London with the App, and it's quite exciting. Last year I was behind the mic in a warm studio. This time, I'm going to know exactly how it is out there!
More inspiration
Is it true that the Why I Run podcast even has a team for the Run?
Yes, and everyone is welcome! We want to have fun, and I also want our team to be as inclusive as possible. Being inclusive means being global – so join us from wherever you are!
