"Running a Marathon had been a childhood ambition I didn’t think I’d achieve once I turned 40 but the places came up to run for The Olive Tree and it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss to achieve something for myself and raise some money for such an important local charity. I had my husband’s prior marathon experience and determination to help push through to get to the finish line with me as well.
Training started in earnest in December when I ‘ran’ my first ever 5k, I made it to 10K in January and then completed the Brighton Half Marathon in February. The Half Marathon is still to this day the most mentally challenging thing I have ever done which shows that the experience was a necessary one to get me to the full marathon in April. Having completed the Half Marathon sponsorship really took hold and we were overwhelmed by the support of our friends, family and business associates in the money that was raised. One sponsor had benefited in the past from The Olive Tree directly which was lovely to hear.
The day was chilly and windy with a bit of sunshine. The crowd were amazing and really kept us going. It was by no means easy and at the hardest point knowing the good that would be achieved from the money raised made it possible to continue. Crossing the finish line was an experience I’ll never forget. Our girls came down to support and cheer us on at a number of points along the way and thankfully the euphoria of finishing gave our legs the strength to give them each a piggy back to the station to go home".
It's not too late to sponsor Kirsty and Nevil; you can add to their impressive total by visiting their JustGiving page.