How Social Media Changed my Life - Rtn Paul Wilson

The best way I can describe how I work, is as a personal social media trainer. My focus is very much on guiding businesses through the early stages of social media, giving them best practice techniques that ensure they start on the right path without wasting valuable time and resources. Overall including my previous career as a UK-wide IT consultant I’ve been delivering workshops for more than 18 years. Since setting up PRwilson Media, I’ve provided social media training for a broad cross-section of businesses, national charity organizations, County and Local Councils. As an example, recently I was awarded a contract by Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce to deliver master-classes on social media to a range of SME businesses. All of my training is practically based, using real-world case studies and demonstrations to give attendees valuable techniques they can take away and implement in their businesses

Alongside my passion for my work, I’m a dedicated family man, sports enthusiast and very active Rotarian.

The Global Swimarathon

The Rotary moment that changed my world was watching 14-year-old Moin Junnedi, India’s youngest national Paralympian, completing his swim in last year’s Rotary Global Swimarathon. Junnedi suffers from a severe brittle bones condition which has meant he’s suffered with over 200 fractures during his young life. Just a day or two before this swim, he suffered four fractures, but was so determined to take part. It was pure inspiration, as this video shows.

For more than 23 years, my club, the Rotary Club of Grantham, Lincolnshire, in District 1070 (England) has held an annual Swimarathon event raising over £560,000 (US$883,000) for local charities.

Inspired by the London Olympics in 2012, we set out to share the magic of our event with Rotary clubs around the world. I had the privilege of leading a 10-month social media campaign using videos, pictures and regular updates which enabled us to get support from Rotary clubs across all six continents.

Despite all the obvious time zone and language barriers, Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, and other members of the Family of Rotary made that dream come true, supported and inspired by Paralympians, Olympians, and World Champions. The most inclusive and biggest simultaneous global swimming event in human history took place from 12:00 to 13:00 G.M.T on 25 February, 2012.

Guinness World Records officially recorded 4,546 participants aged between 8 and 93 synchronizing their 100 meter swims in the exact same hour across 15 different time zones. The effort raised more than $100,000 for polio eradication.