I’ll like to share the readathon testimonial I wrote to Ope Akinbo as it tells my readathon story and I know it’ll inspire you
Dear Ope,
It is with a heart filled with good emotions that I write this note.
Precisely on the 22nd of December 2017, I took the bold step and announced on Instagram that I will be participating in the Readathon Challenge with OA 2018. The challenge for the year was to read one book every 2 weeks which brings it to a total of 26 books in 2018.Feeling hyped about this challenge and wanting to push myself really hard, I set for myself a target of 50 books this year as opposed to the 26 books.
I won’t lie, this goal did scare me but deep down I had faith that I could do it.If you would remember sometime in August 2017, I slid into your DM and asked how you did it. How you read so many books and you challenged me to read a book before the end of that day. I spent my whole day reading to ensure I finished the book before 6 pm as we had agreed. Surprisingly, I finished the book by 4 pm. I was amazed. I was blown away and I was super proud of myself. I also felt indebted and grateful to you that day for pushing me way outta my comfort zone and for challenging me.
With that achievement, I knew that I wanted to be a part of readathon 2018. I asked how I could best go about it and you told me to finish a book before 2017 ends as that success will be the push I need to have more successes. As it turned out, I was able to finish the book within my super hectic and chore filled Christmas break at my hometown.
With that feeling of success-high, I decided that I will do way more than 26 books this year. I decided to do 50.
Before I reveal how many books I have been able to read this year, I’ll like to state that I needed this readathon challenge more than I realized at the beginning of the year. It is one challenge that has changed the course of my year. It has opened me to so many insights, knowledge, opportunities, and blessings.When I tell people that I am participating in a readathon challenge and I plan to read 50 books before the end of the year, I get different types of impressions and responses. And what I have realized is that the road less traveled by people is really the road to success.
I cannot begin to list the various ways participating in this readathon has changed my life. All I can say right now is this: Participating in the readathon challenge with OA was the starting point of a transformed and informed life that is very much worth living and I am glad I took this challenge. I’ll do it over and over again if I have to.
Thanks for the push, motivation, inspiration, and challenge.
Let’s do this again next year.
Mary.
P.S: I was on my 47th book when I wrote this and I reached my goal of 50 before the end of the year 2018.
Welcome to 2019
