London Sport Events Manager Rachel Rowe was responsible for running the recent London Sport Awards and has still found time to train for the London Marathon.
Name: Rachel Rowe
Age: 29
About You:
I was born and bred in Taranaki, New Zealand where growing up was all about being outdoors, blue skies and bare feet.
I am a small town girl at heart, but after coming to London I have found a true love for big cities, and the cultures, opportunities, and experiences that come with it.
I am an absolute foodie, my weekends are spent with friends, scouting out new markets, good coffee, drinking red wine, and churning out baked treats in my kitchen at home.
Travelling is what brought me over to this side of the world, so there is always an adventure in the diary, and in amongst food and travelling I am usually outdoors, running, soaking up one of many London amazing green spaces, or escaping the big city for the countryside or piece of coastline!
What benefits do you get from running?
Running is good for the soul – once you get through those first few runs where you feel like you are going to die, and find your fitness it is so enjoyable.
Running is a tool I use for so many things, for my physical health, to de-stress, positive mental health, to explore new areas, to socialise, and to challenge myself.
I have always been an active person, physical activity is something that is engrained in you as a child in New Zealand, I have always played team sports, but there is something about running that just clicks with me.
It’s something you can do anywhere, anytime, at your own pace. All you need is a pair of trainers and a good music playlist.
How has training gone so far?
Training has been tough, I have never had any injuries or struggles in the past so I think I was a bit naive going into this challenge about how hard it was going to be on my body.
When you start pushing yourself to extremes, there are parts of your body that will start to resist, unfortunately for me it has been my ankles that have not wanted to play ball.
I wasn’t able to run during February and with the back and forth to physio it was incredibly frustrating.
A series of strengthening exercises and an adapted training plan has thankfully got me back on track though and I have everything crossed they will hold on until 28 April.
Why did you decide to run the marathon for London Sport?
The opportunity to run the London Marathon for London Sport came up at a time I was in need of a new physical challenge, so it was a bit of a no brainer.
The prospect of running 26 miles definitely terrified me but, as I was deciding, my Dad said ‘Don’t even think about it, just do it” and I did.
To be able to raise money that will go towards projects within my own workplace, and the ability to watch these projects unfold and directly benefit deaf and disabled people will be a very rewarding experience.
