Mother-of-two runner hits out at cruel heckler who fat-shamed her and called her a ‘fat b***h’ as she ran round park
- Dawn Nisbet, 43, was last person to finish the Oldham parkrun in October 2016
- She became a viral hit when she finished the run with a beaming smile
- But whilst on a run on Granby Row, Manchester, on Friday, man shouted insult
- Mrs Nisbet, an NHS business manager, said on Twitter that she burst into tears
A woman whose Parkrun efforts went viral has hit out at a cruel heckler who called her a ‘fat b***h’ as she was out for a jog.
Dawn Nisbet, 43, initially cried after the man shouted the insult at her on Granby Row in Manchester city centre as she headed to the gym on Friday.
But now she’s wiped away her tears and is determined not to let it put her off.
Dawn Nisbet, whose Parkrun efforts went viral has hit out at a cruel heckler who called her a ‘fat b***h’ as she was out for a jog
The NHS business manager became a viral hit when she first ran her first Parkun in Oldham in 2016 with a beaming smile.
Recalling the episode on Friday morning, Mrs Nisbet said: ‘I was so shocked. I could feel myself getting upset. I ran to the gym. Then I burst into tears, I felt really horrible.
‘My fitness has gone up and down in the last year. The words he said were the words I was feeling
‘What was a throwaway comment for him has had a huge impact on me,’ she added.
In the last three years Mrs Nisbet has completed a number of 10ks and the Great Manchester Run half-marathon last year.
But the mother-of-two injured herself late last year and has been struggling to get out as much.
She initially cried after the man shouted the insult at her on Granby Row in Manchester city centre as she headed to the gym. But now she’s wiped away her tears and is determined not to let it put her off
Her mood has been at an ‘all time low’ and she has put on weight. She said the comment reinforced the way she felt about herself.
But on her way back from the gym on Friday, Mrs decided she was going to turn the negative episode into a positive one.
She remembered an offer to run the Great Manchester Run by organisers that was ‘sitting in her email inbox’.
She’s decided to run the 10k later this month for mental health charity Mind.
And now she’s got a message to the man who made the nasty comment.
Mrs Nisbet said: ‘I’m not the person you think I am. You don’t know what I can achieve.
‘I’m a big girl, I’m fat. This fat girl has done her 68th Parkrun.
‘Can you imagine if he said ‘go girl’ instead. You don’t know what battles anyone is fighting.’
Posting about her experience online, Mrs Nisbet wrote: ‘To the guy that shouted ‘fat b**ch’ at me as I ran past him, I’m glad I didn’t stop to talk to you.
‘I’m glad you didn’t see me burst into tears. I’m glad that, after I’d dried my tears, I gave my all to my PT session and have signed up to a 10k.
After the experience Mrs Nisbet wrote on Twitter: ‘To the guy that shouted ‘fat b**ch’ at me as I ran past him, I’m glad I didn’t stop to talk to you. I’m glad you didn’t see me burst into tears. I’m glad that, after I’d dried my tears, I gave my all to my PT session and have signed up to a 10k
I’m sorry you think that’s OK.’
She said she’s had an overwhelming response, with scores of messages of support.
More than 7,000 people have since liked the post and said they want to follow her journey.
Mrs Nisbet got up early on Saturday morning, dusted off her trainers and did her local Parkrun in Alexandra Park.
She said: ‘I know that I’m improving, and that it’s going to get better. I have proved that I can do Parkrun. I loved every minute of it.
‘Positive stuff has come out of (this experience).’
You can donate to her JustGiving page here.