On Sunday the 8th of October Laura Bessell (Chief Operations Officer) and Viktorija Veilentaite (Senior Rights & Music Licensing Advisor) ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon on behalf of the Women and Children First charity and Dogs Trust, respectively.
Laura has been a voluntary treasurer of Women and Children First for almost 5 years. The half marathon is 13.2 miles (21.3km) but at the time of signing up Laura was only able to run roughly 4km so she undertook a rigorous 6 week training regime which involved circuit training twice a week, 5km runs (as many as she could fit in around her busy job) and one long run per week building up each week (8k, 10k, 12k, 14k, 17k). All this culminated in Laura completing the half marathon in 2.29!
Laura’s Just Giving page is still live if you would like to contribute some money. This, from the charity itself, is why giving is so important:
“Long-standing social norms prevent women from accessing important health services. Common myths and limited knowledge affect women’s choices. Overstretched health services mean workers have little time to help. Yet silence, shame, and stigma kill. Every 50 minutes another person dies of AIDS-related illnesses. These deaths are preventable. HIV is treatable”. Women and Children First: Overview | LinkedIn
Viktorija ran the half marathon on behalf of the charity Dogs Trust. This, from her Just Giving page, which is still live should you wish to donate, explains why she chose to run on behalf of this charity: “It is safe to say that anyone who knows me would call me a crazy dog lady. And this year I’ve decided to embark on my third half marathon to raise money for Dogs Trust and contribute to giving hope and a second chance to our four-legged friends. Any contributions will be appreciated and hopefully will bring lots of tail wagging!”
Laura’s Just Giving page: Laura Bessell is fundraising for Women and Children First UK (justgiving.com)
Vik’s Just Giving page: Viktorija Veilentaite is fundraising for Dogs Trust (justgiving.com)