The countdown is on now for our fundraisers as they have the Cardiff Half firmly in their sights.
We spoke to Abi Hawke who is taking on the half marathon challenge to raise funds to help Vale Domestic Abuse Services support even more survivors in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Abi, 25, is from the Vale and went to school in Cowbridge. She now lives in Cardiff. We asked her about why she has taken on this physical challenge.
“A half marathon is something I’ve always wanted to do, and supporting a charity that does such amazing work for women, gave me a perfect motivation.
I was born and raised in the Vale so supporting Vale Domestic Abuse Services feels like supporting my local community. My fundraising will help local people, and that matters so much to me.
Supporting a local charity, you can really see the difference your support is making, as every pound can have an impact and help survivors.
This is definitely a new sort of challenge for me. In the last six months I’ve made more progress than I expected to. At the beginning of the year, I could barely run for 15 minutes without taking a break, but over the months and with some consistent training, I’ve got up to 15k now – that in itself feels like a big achievement!
In all honesty I didn’t really enjoy running to begin with, but I’m really enjoying it now. I didn’t realise how dedicated to running I had become until I took my running trainers with me on a weekend trip to London recently. I left all my mates in their beds and hit the London pavements at 7am on a Sunday!
Training has been quite manageable. I do two short runs in the week and one long run on the weekend, I’ve found that to be a routine that helps me progress but also one that’s not too hard to stick too – I can fit it in around work and socialising.
The sense of accomplishment you get after going for a run is much better than going for the gym, which makes me want to carry on and improve my distance each time.
I had never seen myself as a runner but now I really want to carry on. Will I ever do a Marathon, I wonder? Ask me in October when I reach the finish line of the Cardiff Half!”
To sponsor Abi in her mission to raise funds for Vale Domestic Abuse Services, click here: Fundraiser by Abi Hawke : Cardiff Half fundraiser (gofundme.com)