A Proud Mamma

October 10th

At home before the race, just a tad nervous

Today Ella, my 17 year old daughter is a tad stiff and is hobbling around, but later on she will sit down and write some thank you letters.   I am a proud mamma on so many different levels I could burst.

Yesterday in beautiful autumnal sunshine she and her band of support runners ran the Oxford half marathon in the name of a local charity The Nasio Trust.  This is the second time in just over two years that Ella has raised as much money as she could for the Nasio trust, having visited Kenya with them she was determined to return and help with life changing projects again.  All money raised will go directly to the projects and nothing else.

At the 11th hour, three of her support runners had to pull out for various reasons and so from a band of 8 runners they were reduced to five.  The others were sorely missed but it did not dampen the spirits or the money raising efforts.

Ella had hand written some flyers and had them printed and between the runners they handed these out along the route, thus adding to their overall running time as well as waiting 8 minutes for queuing at a toilet stop!  Two of the runners, Ella and Phil from The Twisted Yarn had not run a half marathon before and looked to me (a non runner) to breeze the race.  The day for spectators and runners alike was fantastic, the atmosphere was supportive and it was so busy, 10,000 runners in Oxford plus all of us watching too.  Heaving but fun.  Ella said it was great handing out the flyers and everyone was so receptive and friendly.

So to those of you who wished her well, donated to her page, it's still not too late: Ella's fund raising page , (she will update this in due course with photos from the race and from Kenya over the coming weeks and months, so do pop back) and helped her in any way shape or form, I thank you from the bottom of my very proud heart.

THANK YOU 

Near the start of the race and already handing out flyers

Mile 9

A lot of bananas were consumed
at the end of the race

Oxford in the October sunshine

Ella and her support team of runners having completed the half marathon

The total she has raised including off and online money is a tad over £1660, 

but she is still trying to push that up a notch.  What a wonderful result, 

again to those of you who helped or may yet help, I say:   THANK YOU.