Absolutely Fitness Slough is helping Adrian Metcalfe, 55 from Marlow, train for his first London Marathon which he is running to fundraise for local charity Absolutely Together.
The charity is part of the Absolutely Leisure Group and helps families with children and young adults who have additional needs. Youngsters with additional needs can often feel left out and isolated due to the challenges involved with them participating in leisure activities.
By providing free leisure activities for participating families in the community, Absolutely Together works to improve families’ mental health and well-being by helping them get active. Due to its size, however, the charity often goes unrecognised. Adrian decided to fundraise for Absolutely Together to support their important work and to increase awareness of the charity.
Adrian’s training programme at Absolutely Fitness includes regular body resistance HIT sessions, yoga and Pilates. By providing Adrian with access to their facilities and sharing their advice and knowledge, Absolutely Fitness has helped him overcome an injury which left him unable to run for five weeks, when in June he pulled a hamstring just 20 yards from the finish line of The Fan Dance, a 24 km race in the Brecon Beacons.
Absolutely Fitness have also been helping Adrian overcome the mental challenge of staying motivated to continue training for a year and a half, rather than the six months normally required for a marathon due to the COVID -19 pandemic delaying the race.
Adrian commented:
“I’ve taken part in other types of endurance running but this is my first marathon, and I’m delighted to be supporting Absolutely Together to help raise money and awareness for a local charity. I know it’s going to be a challenge, but I think the cheering and support all runners receive from the crowd will help to spur me on.
“Thank you to Absolutely Fitness for their help; the team are so friendly and knowledgeable, and in advance I’d also like to thank everyone who donates.”
Sandra Grochowska, Club Manager at Absolutely Fitness in Slough, added:
“I would like to thank Adrian for choosing to fundraise for Absolutely Together. It is such an important charity whose help has made a significant difference to so many families in our community. Everyone at Absolutely Fitness is pleased to be helping Adrian with his training and we wish him the best of luck for the race.”
To donate to Adrian’s marathon fundraiser, please visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AdrianMetcalfe1. For more information about Absolutely Together visit https://www.absolutely-together.org/.