Join me in making a difference for township children in South Africa!

I'm running 42.2km (2 half marathons!) this year to raise funds for SOS Africa, a charity that empowers children through education. Every donation–big or small–makes a huge impact!

Back in 2011, I planned to run Cardiff Half Marathon for the charity (with the 40-strong SOS Africa team) but was woefully sidelined by a knee injury. This year not only will I be finishing what I started–I'll be running double the distance! Please consider donating or sharing the link below to support this cause that means so much to me: 🎓🇿🇦 more about SOS Africa charity via link here: https://www.sosafrica.com/about-sos-africa-childrens-charity/

I was fortunate enough to have met the wonderful Matt & Claudia, who lead the charity, while at uni in Portsmouth. My relationship with the organisation started when we set out to fundraise for the charity as part of a charity society we established in Portsmouth in 2010. Since day one and what still now I've been encouraged and impressed by the incredible impact that can be made through sponsorship of a child's education. The ethos of SOS Africa's boundless endeavours "Empowerment Through Education" really struck a nerve with me.

After being very unwell and then having major abdominal surgery (from Oct 2021 to Feb 2024) my road to recovery has been neither easy nor straightforward. Post-op I started running again in July 2024 and have been in serious training for this first 21.2km of two from Dec 2024 til now - follow along with my all of training activities via strava.com/athletes/8265059 and I'll post regular updates on this page too. This will be my biggest physical challenge yet! The last time I ran a half marathon distance was 17 years ago and it was really tough (finishing time of 3 hours 15 min).

Please give generously if you can & if not please consider spreading the word of the work this incredible charity is doing for so many young people in my homeland of South Africa. For a great overview of SOS Africa's efforts check out this brilliant interview with charity Co-founder/CEO Matt who's been working tirelessly since 2003 ensuring the kids supported by the charity have a brighter future - https://youtu.be/CTmbGzV-gPk?si=OK-Ta4U--Ctjjpj4

Thank-you for taking the time to visit my fundraising page. I appreciate each and every one of you for your support.

Big love,

Shaz/ Shazala/ Sharilyn 🫶