focus on charity Marathon Success
The Downe House alumnae were out in force at this year’s London Marathon joining the 40,000 runners to take part in what was described as the hottest race on record with temperatures as high as 24.1°C. Elizabeth, Emily and Phoebe share their stories of the day with us. Congratulations to all our runners – truly inspirational.
Emily Pullan (DH 2009) The London Marathon has always been on my bucket list and after several years of unsuccessful ballot applications this year I was lucky enough to gain a charity place to run for Mind, the mental health charity. Mental health awareness is something I feel really strongly about and is at the centre of everything I am passionate about: midwifery, motherhood, family, fitness and food! We don’t give an equal level of respect and encouragement to our physical and mental health. Therefore through my training and fundraising I wanted to raise awareness of what we can all do to improve our own mental health, making it as much of a priority as our physical health. During my Midwifery training I have seen how mental health, both good and bad, can affect pregnancy, birth, the postnatal period, bonding and family dynamics significantly, therefore running for Mind was an obvious choice for me. Being a keen sportswoman, keeping fit has always been my release to clear my head. I have always wanted to run the London Marathon, not only to raise money for such a great cause, but also as my therapy to keep me focused on training and an outlet to de-stress at the end of a long day on the wards. I really enjoyed my training, although this winter’s cold, rain, snow and wind did not prepare me well for the hottest London Marathon on record! The race did not go as I hoped or trained for, but I am proud of myself for just finishing when many people had to stop to receive medical attention due to the extreme conditions. I could not have done it without the crowds of spectators who lined the course to support, not to mention some loud cheers from lots of old DH girls! I have now raised over £3000 for Mind and my medal is hung in pride of place. Being the competitive person I am, another marathon is definitely on the cards to try and finish in the time I’d hoped for…but not for a few years yet!
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