New douzenier's marathon fund-raiser

Martine after completing last year's Chester Zoo 10k race

Martine Ellis has been training hard for the London Landmarks half marathon next Sunday and will be joining thousands of others also supporting worthy causes.

Mrs Ellis, who was elected onto the douzaine at the start of the year, is a long-term supporter of Autism Guernsey and, for race entry reasons, will be running for the National Autistic Society and hopes to raise more than £500. When not involved in parish affairs, she works part-time for Autism Guernsey, leading education for the charity, and also runs her own training and coaching business.

"I see firsthand the challenges that autistic people and their families face in navigating a world that isn't always designed for them," she says. “Because of who I am and what I do, I very much understand the importance of the right support and advocacy.

"The National Autistic Society does vital work in transforming lives and changing attitudes. Every penny I raise will go toward ensuring that autistic people can live the lives they choose."

Challenge
The run is also a personal challenge for the 47-year-old, who returned to the sport after a significant injury more than 10 years ago which left her with chronic back pain.

Although she completed the 26.2-mile (42k) London Marathon in 2007 and 2014, Mrs Ellis says she has never been a natural runner and found it a bit of a struggle. So the badly slipped disc she sustained appeared to have stopped her from running again.

However, despite the difficulties, she has managed to work her way back to fitness through an intensive and scientifically-based programme and is ready for next Sunday's 13.1 mile run. 

"Taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon is my way of proving to myself that those years of pain are behind me," she says. 

She was aiming to raise £500 for Autism and is delighted that she already has pledges for that amount so any further support will be a real bonus for the cause. Anyone wanting to make a contribution can do so securely via this link.

More information about Autism Guernsey can be found here.

The London Landmarks Half Marathon is a closed-road, central London run and is the only half marathon to go through both the City of London and City of Westminster. The route is shown below and takes in some well-known City sites.

She says that despite all the training, the half marathon will be demanding "and I hope my feet stand up to it".