EVENTS ARE BACK, BACK IN STYLE FOR THE MINTRIDGE FOUNDATION FUNDRAISERS AT THE LONDON LANDMARKS HALF MARATHON 2021
EVENTS ARE BACK, BACK IN STYLE FOR THE MINTRIDGE FOUNDATION FUNDRAISERS AT THE LONDON LANDMARKS HALF MARATHON 2021
“There is nothing better than toeing a start line. Everyone here is running for different reasons, charities and challenges and I love it!”
“There is nothing better than toeing a start line. Everyone here is running for different reasons, charities and challenges and I love it!”
We could NOT agree more with Team Mintridge fundraiser, Romany, and that is why it felt so joyous to kickstart the challenge calendar after the Covid – 19 Pandemic with the buzz of the London Landmarks Half Marathon – a closed road, central London run and the only half marathon to go through both the City of London and the City of Westminster.
We have been waiting to enjoy this magnificent event since becoming a charity partner in 2020 and we can safely say it was worth the wait thanks to the brilliant organisation from the team at London Landmarks and Tommy’s as well of course due to the strong team of Mintridge Foundation runners that took to the course to raise valuable funds for our charity. Funds that will help us enormously at the end of a very tough year to continue supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of young people through Olympians, Paralympians and other positive sporting role models.
Channelling the Olympic Spirit of Tokyo 2020
The LLHM tracking system enabled the Mintridge Cheer station of Nick Bowman, (one of our loyal trustees) and Alex Wallace (Founder) located just after mile 9 to fully prepare with hysterical jumping up and down, photos and general motivational (well, we hope so) cheering to keep our runners going as the legs began to tire. Channeling our Olympians’, we hope that the Team GB flags and Olympic rings allowed our fundraisers to find their champion mindset as they moved into the final elements of the course.
Talking of Olympians, we felt very privileged indeed that double Olympian, Mintridge Ambassador and 4 x 400m Olympic Bronze Medallist, Marilyn Okoro OLY decided to don her trainers once more after announcing her track retirement earlier this year – all for the benefit of her charity of choice, The Mintridge Foundation. Thank you Marilyn. The excitement of seeing you at our Cheer Station brought it all home as to why we do what we do!
Speaking ahead of the race:
““I am excited to take part in LLHM on Sunday. For me it signifies so much, having just retired from my Track career, this is my way of saying goodbye to one chapter and hello to my next. Obviously I am not looking to jump into super long distance running, still too far for me but I will be out there to experience what so many thousands of people identify with; the power of connection and community that running gives to the world. Throughout Lockdown so many people took to running to look after themselves mentally and physically and that is exactly why I will be on the line on Sunday. My two goals are: to raise money for an amazing charity; the Mintridge Foundation and raising awareness for mental health and emotional resilience required to chase success in sport!” ”
Marilyn, we feel privileged to have you on our team, and we cannot imagine Mintridge without you – you bleed the red and black of Mintridge and your energy and enthusiasm transcends into your mentees, thank you.
There is still time to donate to Marilyn, just here – after all, in her own words, “I can confidently confirm a half marathon is a lot further than a half mile”.
Anyway, Marilyn none of us are AT all jealous of your time in the VIP area with the likes of Jenni Falconer, Aimee Fuller and AJ Pritchard because we were far too busy trying to catch Mintridge’s Katie Good as she stormed into the top 20 females with an outstanding finish time of 1 hour 30 minutes. Wow, Katie, thank you once again for supporting our cause, you have inspired the team here once more!
Katie was shortly followed by two of our friends from the Switch the Play Foundation – well done to Rob Young MBE and Mark Roberts, you have done so much for our Ambassadors over the past year and it was great that we could repay you in a very small way with a few cheers as you continued on your way! You can see their big smiles as part of our video below.
For those of you that have followed the launch of the Max Hunter Fund in 2020, you will be pleased to see how well Sophie Hardy and Bruce Parker did as they continue to fundraise on behalf of the 28 NOT OUT contingent. Sophie, we would like to apologise that we didn’t see you coming until the very last moment as were taken aback by the giant St. Paul’s Cathedral heading our way in trainers! You’re both superstars and together, we can use sport as a tool to challenge stereotypes and change the narrative around suicide while keeping Maxy’s memory alive!
We can’t end this blog without mentioning the birthday girl herself, Jeni Hodgkiss, we know that there are lots of ways to spend your birthday, but the fact that you chose to spend it pacing the streets of London towards your half marathon PB made us rather emotional. We are determined to support our supporters just as we support our students, and the fact that you have said how much training for this challenge has helped your mental health is huge. Finding the activity that work for you is something that we shout from the rooftops in schools and running is certainly that for you, Jeni! Thank you for just being wonderful you!
Team works makes the dream work, and that could not be more true than it was for the final members that make up our Mintridge Landmarks squad. Where would we be without our top fundraiser, Ben Fountain and his friend, Dave Everett? They zoomed past us with big smiles and following the live tracking system, they were on track for a great finishing time to enjoy an ice cold beer! Well done both and thank you.
…To Team Prestige, already a significant supporter of the Mintridge Foundation, but their support never stops! Thank you Silvano, Rosa, Jonathan, Victoria and Juliet, we loved seeing you altogether, the very essence of what this event is about! Arms in the air, dancing like no one is watching, it was great! For those that enjoyed their first half marathon, we hope that this is the start of a half marathon journey for you!
Last but certainly by no means least, thank you Tim Mason and Dave Pounds, cricketing team mates that wanted a new challenge, and this was certainly just that! Tim and his printing and mailing organisation, DMLINK are one of our loyal corporate partners, but the fact that Tim has gone one step further and helped raise additional funds through a challenge of this magnitude is exactly what we love about the partnership, getting to the real hear of what we do. After months of only meeting on Zoom, we loved you stopping by at our cheer station for a little recuperation with Dave before heading off again! Dave, we were a little worried that taking your trainers off would be a bad idea, but were proven wrong as you stepped straight back onto the course and into the final elements! You’re a star and we hope to be able to work with you again.
To our runners and their supporters, thank you, thank you, a million times, thank you – you have given a small charity a big reason to smile following the reduction in fundraising opportunities over the past 18 months, it looks like our Ambassadors are right, we can overcome setbacks and resilience is key! We can continue to grow and support even more young people thanks to your generosity! Now, rest up and enjoy some well deserved downtime…
We would also suggest using a Recovapro to aid your recovery and if you haven’t got one yet, head to the shop and enter the code “MINTRIDGE”, not only will you get a discount, but we will also enjoy a donation from our partners there too! Wink, wink…
We were sorry that a few members of the squad were unable to run on the day due to Covid reasons or injury, but we are excited to welcome you to future events! Watch this space…
Are you interested in reserving a space in the Mintridge squad for the London Landmarks 2022 (provisionally Sunday 3rd April) if we are successful with places? You can do so below.
If you would like to understand more about our mentoring programmes with elite athletes and how they can support the young people at your school or club, please contact Katie Smith.
If you are considering supporting the Mintridge Foundation as a business, organisation or as an individual, head to our SUPPORT US page below.
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as Fitswarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
The Mintridge Foundation
Unit 4, Shieling Court
Northfolds Road
Corby
Northants
NN18 9QD
Tel: +44 (0) 1536 447106
www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk
