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Meet London Marathon fundraiser Ebony
Ever thought about running the London Marathon?
Every April hundreds of thousands of us are inspired to apply for a ballot place in the London Marathon. Last year, fundraiser Ebony did just that and on Sunday 21st April she was one of the lucky runners on the starting line for the London Marathon 2024. We caught up with her to find out how she got on and to hear her tips for anyone of thinking of taking on a challenge like this.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m a yoga teacher who loves gardening and animals, I’m also a real foodie which is becoming a good thing as vegan food has stepped up a notch in the last few years.
What motivated you to take on the London Marathon 2024?
I supported my cousins as they ran it on my birthday in 2023 in 3 hours and 2 minutes, so I was inspired to give it a crack.
How did you find training and do you have any tips?
The training was all-consuming, even at my below-average level! If you miss a session, don’t worry, just keep on track with the next one. Every run helps. It is ALL a mindset. Also, train with your fuel of choice e.g gels. You do not want to try them for the first time within even a month of the race.
Now onto the big day itself, what was your favourite part of the day?
The atmosphere. Oh boy do those crowds make you feel INCREDIBLE.
And what was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
I am very competitive so my cousins’ times were always at the forefront of my mind but it’s not a race with other people (unless you’re elite), it’s you and your mind.
Don’t try and beat anyone else, try and push your mind and body and stay focussed on going as fast as you can whilst having a good time. It’s also super humbling to have a man carrying a fridge overtake you so stay open and smiling!
How did you find out about Cool Earth and why did you choose to fundraise for us?
I was researching where I wanted my fundraising to go when I found Cool Earth. Usually, I would choose an animal charity as I believe that humans need to focus on remedying the actions of other humans but I couldn’t decide on a specific animal charity – they all seemed to be worthy and in need. So I set about finding an organisation that would cover as many animal and environmental causes as possible.
I also knew that I wanted to spread awareness about the climate crisis without depressing everyone. This is an issue that affects every single living organism on planet Earth. We talk about it a lot but hardly anything gets done or changes.
Enter Cool Earth – the most amazing charity working with people and communities (hallelujah) to restore and protect our forests (hallelujah x 2), thereby helping stop further and undoing past destruction. The chain reaction from this being to help people, wildlife, habitats, the environment, and the survival of planet Earth as we know it. I was sold!
Do you have three recommendations for people taking on a challenge like yours?
Sign up, why not?
If you miss some training just hop back in, you’ll be surprised by how little one session impacts the overall result so keep plodding on.
Have fun, if you’re not having fun take a breath and look around at the hundreds of other people in the same boat as you raising money for worthy causes, carrying fridges (!?).
What is your top tip to others who want to fundraise for Cool Earth?
Do it! Now! Whilst we have a planet worth fighting for!
So there you have it! If you’ve been thinking of taking on a challenge and fundraising for climate action, take a leaf out of Ebony’s book and just do it!