Gef’s 30 Under 30 Winners: Q&A with Joe Reid

In addition to the #Gef30Under30 winners, our Headline Partner Amber Gaming recognised four additional Gamechangers for their resilience in overcoming obstacles in their lives and careers. These young rising stars are the ones to watch.

What is your name?

Joe Reid, 27

Job title or role in the community?

Run club organiser

Current organisation, business or employer?

Run with Reid

How did you start your career or role in the community?

After COVID I took a step back from my own athletics career as an 800m runner and wanted to give something back to the Manx community as I felt I owed the island a lot. I started my business and run club in late 2020 and just kept turning up every Monday night hoping others would join me for a run. We started off with only 5/6 people for the first few weeks but now we get as many as 40/45 people running with us!

Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?

A lot of people say ‘I can’t run!’ and I always tell them they’re lying! Everyone can run, sometimes it just takes a bit of time and perseverance to get to the point where you enjoy it! My run club is free so it’s the perfect place to get started!

Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?

When I first started my run club numbers were often very low, there have been some weeks where it’s only been myself, my mum and a couple of mates! There were times where I thought about stopping it but I kept at it and I’m so glad I did as we regularly get big numbers now and lots of people have reached out to me and told me how much they value our run club so I’m really glad I stuck at it!

Tell us about why you think you won the category you did?

I think I won my award because between my club and I we’ve got a regular social space that allows people to exercise, make friends, try something new, spend time together as a family, and have something to look forward to every week. And it’s all for free!

Who are your role models, either on-island or off, in your sector or outside of it?

I’ve always admired my parents. My mum runs her own aerobics class so from a young age I’ve been used to seeing her give up her own time to help others. My dad was very supportive of my own athletics career and used to spend evenings driving my sister and I to and from the athletics track so I feel it’s important that I give up that time to provide others with a chance to do something they enjoy.

What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in your career?

How important it is to invest in a good waterproof running jacket!

What are your plans for the future?

To keep my club going and make it a mainstay in the south of the island. I’d also like to start organising more social events and friendly races.

What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?

I’ve loved being back on the island as it’s allowed me to be closer to my family, get a job I enjoy, start my business and do all this whilst feeling secure.

What does being a Gef 30 Under 30 winner mean to you?

It’s great to know that people appreciate what I do and that I seem to be making a difference. As long as people benefit from it I’ll keep doing it!

What would you say to young people nominating themselves, or people nominating others, for 30 Under 30 in the future?

Get involved as it was a great event and a good opportunity to speak to other like-minded islanders!