Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I’m Chloe, I’m 30 years old (clearly why this year I decided to run a marathon) and I work for an NGO (Surfers Against Sewage) in Cornwall. I love being in the ocean, by the ocean and exploring the Cornish outdoors! I am so excited to be fundraising for #TeamSHARK, both because it’s a personal challenge this year but also I’m able to be able to raise money for a charity that I have followed and believed in for so long.  

What is the challenge that you fundraising for:

I am running my first ever London Marathon (my first ever marathon!) on the 26^th April this year and my fundraising target is £2000!

Why did you pick the Shark Trust as the charity you wanted to support?

As I said in my application, I just *bloody* love sharks! How can you not?! They’ve been around for millions of years, come in so many different shapes and sizes and we just get to co-exist with them – its really very cool.

I have followed the Shark Trust’s work for a long time now and it’s always inspired me. Sharks Skates and Rays face a lot of difficulties due to things that us humans are doing (overfishing, habitat destruction, climate change). But as we know, people are not going to want to protect or save something that A. gets such a bad wrap in the media and B. they don’t know much about. I think the Shark Trust does such a fantastic job at trying to shift public perception and sharing positive communications around sharks as well as getting people involved in conservation of sharks, skates and rays through their citizen science work. All of that paired with the advocacy work they do makes it a real powerhouse of a charity!

When did you start training for the London Marathon, and how is it going?

I have always been a bit of a runner, but for me a long run is anything more than my weekly park run so this has been a real challenge. I started training properly for the marathon in January and although it’s going well and I’m feeling quite strong, it has been really very hard. I live in Cornwall and the weather in the South West has been really quite grim the last few months. I’ve never used the phrase “I had to dig deep” for anything before and I think I finally understand what it means! Finding the motivation to go for a 3 hour run when its grey, windy and there’s sideways rain hurtling down has meant “I’ve had to dig deep!”.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to fundraise, and what training tips do you have?

• I think the biggest one would be to plan early for fundraising events, when the runs are shorter and you have a bit more time!
• I’ve found that people do really want to help you raise money for charity – ask local businesses and local people for help
• Get comfortable with asking people to donate – I have to keep reminding myself it’s for charity not for me!
• Find some good reliable flat routes for the longer runs and plan them into your week. It’s quite time consuming when you get to the longer runs so I’ve found that prepping them in advance works well for me.
• Figuring out what fuel works for me has been super important. I’m not too much of a sweet tooth so find by the end I feel quite sick if all I’ve had is gels, chews, sweets etc. I’m currently trialling mini salty pretzels alongside the sweet treats to balance it out!
  
  

What is your favourite memory in the Ocean?

Fairly recently, I was completing a snorkel course in Cornwall and saw for the first time a Small Spotted Catshark! It was so special because I’ve been wanting to see one for so long and it was just so beautiful. I definitely got too cold staying in the water too long but I was absolutely made up. I was also so lucky to see a Basking shark and 5 Blue sharks all in one day off the coast of Penzance last year. It was such an amazing day and I think seeing different types of sharks around the UK is extra special because it’s a reminder of the incredible marine life we have here.

What is your favourite shark/ray/skate/chimaera species and why?

It’s a tough question because they are all so epic. But seeing as Mr Ray from Finding Nemo probably won’t count here I think I’ll have to admit I’m quite basic and I always say the big boy Great Whites are my favourite. This was the first shark I saw in the wild and also the most iconic in my eyes. It was also the first one that really got me into sharks when I was younger – I had a big book with a picture of a Great White in the middle and I remember absolutely loving it.  

Where can people support your fundraiser?

You can support me on my fundraising page at The Shark Trust: Chloe's Fundraising Page!  All donations means so much, and support the amazing work of the Shark Trust.