A trio of runners taking part in this weekend’s London Marathon will be representing the fire service and raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity, whilst an Isle of Wight firefighter is running on behalf of The Wight Brainy Bunch, a charity with close links to the fire service.
Months of training have been building towards this Sunday’s event in the capital for more than 56,000 participants, and amongst them will be four members of the HIWFRS family.
Matt Arnold is an on-call firefighter at Grayshott and will be taking on the 26.2 mile route in full firefighting kit! He said:
“The kit adds around 10kg to my load, but the real challenge will be the heat. Fire kit is designed to keep everything out, including air – which means I’ll be battling heat and stamina all the way to the finish line.
“Since joining the fire service as an on-call firefighter last year, I’ve gained a huge appreciation for the realities of the job – the middle-of-the-night callouts, the uncertainty of what each shout might bring, the commitment alongside full-time work, and the impact it has on family life. It’s a constant juggle that firefighters across the country take on.
“That’s why I’m proud to be running in support of The Fire Fighters Charity. They provide vital, lifelong support to the UK’s fire service community -helping individuals and their families with their mental, physical, and social wellbeing at every stage of life.”
You can show support and donate to Matt’s fundraising page.
Lauren Turner’s husband Ross is a firefighter at Rushmoor, and he will no doubt be cheering her across the finish line at The Mall in London. She said:
“The Fire Fighters Charity have supported Ross through a couple of tough times, and I’ve seen firsthand the difference they make in everyday recovery and care.
“As part of my fundraising journey, I’ll be taking on the Farnborough and Fleet half marathons, all building up to the ultimate challenge: The London Marathon.
“I’ve set myself the goal of at least beating Ross’ donation to the Charity, because if he can do it, so can I!”
Help Lauren smash Ross’ total donation on her JustGiving page!
Ben Taylor is a crew manager in our Learning and Development team, having worked at Hightown, Southsea and Eastleigh as a firefighter. He said:
“As a firefighter, and having served as a firefighter in the Royal Air Force, I’ve experienced and witnessed the physical and emotional demands of this profession.
“Running the London Marathon has been a personal goal of mine for over a decade, and I’m incredibly grateful to finally be taking part, especially for The Fire Fighters Charity, an incredible organisation dedicated to supporting firefighters and their families in times of need.”
Donate to help Ben reach his £2,500 fundraising target.
The Fire Fighter’s Charity support more than 5,000 fire service personnel each year who have been physically or psychologically impacted by their work.
Sandown’s Kierhan Dry is aiming to complete the course in under three hours.
The on-call firefighter is representing The Wight Brainy Bunch, a charity founded by Ryde firefighter Mark Grimes and his wife Kat, after Mark was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015.
Show your support for Kierhan and The Wight Brainy Bunch.
The London Marathon route starts in Greenwich before crossing Tower Bridge and winding its way along the River Thames, finishing in front of Buckingham Palace on The Mall.
