Maggie is running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October 2022. Find out why she has taken on this challenge.

Why did you start running?

Living a busy, modern life working in the office every day has made me realise how important health is when it comes to quality of life.

The pandemic also made me realise how connected our mental health is to our physical health. When I started to become more active after lockdown, I witnessed a drastic change in not only my fitness but my mental health.

I was never interested in running. I never understood the joy of it until I started running this summer. It carved out a space for me to maintain my fitness, as well as a space for my mind to detach from the busy world.

A few weeks in, I started setting small goals for myself: 5k, 8k, 10k. I then decided to participate in a half marathon as my next goal.

That is really impressive! How is your running journey going now?

I call myself a runner now!

I have been travelling this summer and I started running in the different places I've visited. On one occasion, I ran along a beach and saw a beautiful sunset, which I would've missed if I didn't go for the run. I have explored new cities while running and it's becoming one of my favourite things to do when I visit somewhere new.

I have been following a 12-week training plan, and unfortunately sprained my ankle. This has caused a delay in my training for about five weeks. I'm slowly recovering and I have started to run again, so I plan to continue with my training for the remaining eight weeks and finish the half marathon.

Why did you choose to run the Royal Parks Half?

What better way is there to finish a half marathon than running through London's beautiful Royal Parks, all while raising money for charity?

Fundraising has made being a runner more meaningful. I get to challenge myself and support charities that work on different causes.

Why are you fundraising for Wellbeing of Women?

Wellbeing of Women aims to invest in research that supports women at different stages of their lives, from babies to later in life.

My motivation to start running was to improve my fitness, and I try to find different sources to educate myself on how women's bodies work. It's important that I learn to work with my body to achieve my goals.

How can other people support you?

I am so grateful for any and all donations on my JustGiving page. If you're not able to help financially, you can share my fundraising page with friends, family and on social media, to help me reach more people.

You can also support women's health by starting to run yourself! I understand running isn't for everyone, but I encourage you to find your own sport, hobby or activity for your physical and mental health.

Donate to Maggie's JustGiving page

Want to take on a challenge event? Find out about upcoming opportunities