Fit Rovers participant to run the London Marathon on Sunday and fundraise for Club Doncaster Foundation

Fit Rovers participant Gill Clegg, will be raising money for Club Doncaster Foundation when she takes on the London Marathon this Sunday.

Gill has been attending numerous Club Doncaster Foundation projects since last June, after initially completing a Fit Rovers course.

Since then, she’s attended the Fit Forces programme and continued to attend Fit Rovers vets sessions on a weekly basis, racking up more than 130 appearances after starting her journey, so when it came to choosing a charity to fundraise for, there was only one in her mind.

Gill said: “I wasn’t raising money for anyone initially. Then a couple of my friends at a session said that I should fundraise for the Foundation. I don’t know why I didn’t about it before. The help that the Foundation has given me, it’s the right thing to do.

“Joining Fit Rovers and continuing to attend regularly, has been a lifeline for me. I was a carer for my mum and it could get intense at times, so coming along to these sessions got me out and socialising and I’ve made new friends through it as well.

“I come to the daytime sessions, I attend Fit Forces, boxing sessions, the park running with the Fit Rovers runners, everything there is, I do.”

After applying for a place in the London Marathon for the past 7 years, she has been lucky enough to gain a place this year.

Recently, Gill lost her mum, Kathleen, who was one of her biggest supporters and was looking forward to watching the London Marathon on the TV.

“I’ve got mixed feelings on the marathon now. I’ve done running on and off for the last few years, so the London Marathon has always been one of those ‘tick the boxes’ as a runner. I’ve tried numerous times to get in the ballot and this year I was successful,” she said.

“I lost my mum 5 weeks ago and she was really excited, which made me excited as well. I’m doing it for her now. It makes it feel even more special.”

Speaking of how much the Foundation means to her, Gill said: “The people at Club Doncaster Foundation and Fit Rovers are amazing, especially in the last few weeks.

“Karen and Mike, two participants I’ve met while attending sessions, have been unbelievably supportive too.

“Fit Rovers means a lot, mentally and physically. I’ve lost weight, my confidence has improved too. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without it.

“It’s been hard coming out of the house recently, but attending these sessions and having the support from staff and other participants, at the moment, it’s meant everything.

CEO John Davis said: “As someone that has engaged with a number of our programmes, Gill is a fantastic ambassador for our Foundation.

“The London Marathon is an iconic event and we all wish Gill the best of luck as she looks to take on this fantastic race, whilst also raising vital funds to help improve the lives of more people across Doncaster.”

To support Gill and the Foundation in the London Marathon this weekend, you can donate to her TotalGiving page here: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/londonmarathon2023

We wish Gill the best of luck for Sunday and will be monitoring her progress throughout the day.