Clare tells us how she raised an incredible £1,300 for SeeBeyondBorders
Clare took part in an an Ironman challenge in summer 2016, and she used the event to raise funds for SeeBeyondBorders. Here she tells us all about her journey.
“I first heard about SeeBeyondBorders through my friend Susan – the company she worked for was a corporate sponsor and she volunteered with them in Cambodia for a fortnight. My friend Sarah was also volunteering with them at the time and told me about the work they did, which seemed invaluable in rebuilding a country torn apart so relatively recently. I also visited Cambodia while Sarah was out there, so found out a lot more about the history of the country and the problems it is facing, in particular in re-building education.
The Ironman was a personal challenge – the next step up on the triathlon ladder. I had been doing triathlons for a few years and was inspired by the people around me who completed the longer events. I wanted to use the opportunity to raise money and SBB seemed the obvious choice.
“My friend was volunteering with SeeBeyondBorders and told me about the work they did, which seemed invaluable in rebuilding a country torn apart so relatively recently.”
A lot of people had seen how much time and effort had gone in to training for the the Ironman and so as the event neared I asked friends, family and work colleagues if they wouldn’t mind sponsoring me, which many were happy to do, and they gave so generously. Small plugs on Facebook also attracted a few people that I hadn’t really been in touch with for years to sponsor me too which was great.
The event was tough, especially the run, but the atmosphere was amazing and I had lots of family and friends supporting which really boosted along the way.
If you’re thinking of completing in an Ironman or a sports challenge for SeeBeyondBorders, my advice would be to just do it! Don’t be afraid or think that you can’t! Give yourself plenty of time to train and stick to your training plan, and everything should fall into place on the day. Asking for sponsorship can be difficult, but if people can see you’ve put a lot of effort into something it’s amazing how much support you can raise fairly easily.”
Find out how you can get involved in our work here.