Work Out With Sally Kettle

Sally Kettle is a remarkable woman by any standards.

Adventurer, marathon runner, model, personal trainer, author, motivational speaker and event hostess, she is notably the first woman to row the Atlantic Ocean twice from east to west. Since then she has regularly set herself new challenges, including sailing and trekking around the world.

When she’s not writing about her exploits or giving insightful talks of her experiences, Kingston resident Sally finds time to support Tadworth-based charity, The Childrens Trust. Last year she was invited to join a number of other celebrities - including Elaine Paige, Richard Hammond, Michael Aspel, Amanda Burton, Joan Collins, Gail Porter, Phil Tufnell, Louis Mariette, Guy Portelli, Betty Laine and Suzanne Dando - as a vice president of The Trust. In accepting the title, she agreed to support The Trust whenever possible, to raise awareness of the work it does with brain injured children. What is more, she’s offering all those T&L readers who maybe over-indulged over Christmas, the chance to get in to trim by taking on some of the challenges she’s doing herself, on behalf of The Trust over the next few months.

What better place to start than… with some rowing. Sally wants you to show her how good a rower you are by signing up for her Oarsome Challenge! She’s looking for individuals, companies, and rowing clubs to row or paddle as many miles as possible during 2012, to raise money for The Children’s Trust. Use a rowing machine at your local gym or leisure centre or get out on the open water and row as many miles as you can... at least 37.5 miles, as every hundred rowers doing this distance will have rowed the equivalent of Sally’s epic trans-Atlantic journey.

‘Rowers are the fittest people in the world,’ says Sally. ‘They use all their muscles, rather than just the selective ones needed for running or weights. You can visit a gym and simply use a rowing machine to clock up your miles. If you choose to get out on open water make sure you take advantage of an induction course to get the technique right. Just give your local club a call and arrange some lessons. Get a team of two, four or eight together from friends and family. And, remember, just keep going. You’ll get there eventually!’

Register online at www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/oarsome to receive a fundraising pack containing more information about the challenge, tips to get you started from Sally and sponsorship forms. At the end of the challenge you will also be invited to a special reception to meet Sally and fellow Oarsome Challengers!

For the last two years Sally has run the London Marathon for The Trust – once as Wonder Woman, once as Laura Croft. ‘I’m doing it again, this year,’ she says, ‘and it’s going to be just as awful as the last two times! It does hurt, no matter how many times you do it; even professional runners who look comfortable in the last stages of a marathon are hurting – they just don’t show it.’

Sally’s advice to those wanting to do a full or half marathon for The Trust for the first time is to forget the competitive element altogether and to build up the distances from run to run. ‘Start slow and steady; running three times a week. Don’t get over ambitious. If you don’t like the isolation join a running club for the camaraderie and for safety when running at night.’

The Children’s Trust has arranged a number of training dates for runners who have places in the London Marathon on 22 April. On 25 March runners from Run to Live will be leading 13 and 18 mile runs from the Trust, at Tadworth, from 8am to 2pm; followed by more information on Marathon Day and nutrition. On Wednesday 11 April runners will get the chance to cover the last five miles of the marathon; meet at London Bridge at 7pm. For further details visit: www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk. The Trust is particularly interested in hearing from anyone planning to run in unusual fancy dress.