Bristol woman to compete in polar marathon

On September 28, hundreds of runners competed in the Great Bristol Half Marathon. Amongst the fun-runners and fundraisers was Kelly Sheldrick, who was completing the course as part of a gruelling training regime. She did not take the half marathon lightly, but for her it was a stepping stone to a much larger challenge.

Exactly a month later, on October 28 2018, Kelly will set off from Kangerlussuaq in Greenland to run the Polar Circle Marathon in freezing conditions, across ice-fields, snow-covered roads and thick tundra, where frostbite is a very real danger. The Australian, originally from Perth but now living in Fishponds, will run the 26.2 miles all in aid of a struggling eco-friendly school in Nicaragua.

Kelly is an avid cyclist and runner who has already completed Manchester Marathon and the Cotswolds Way Ultra Marathon. But despite the preparations she’s done, the polar marathon will still be a major test of fitness and endurance.

“It was really the most challenging marathon I could find, so much that I’m not sure if I’ll be able to complete it,” says Kelly. “Especially since the other marathons I’ve run were all quite popular and the other runners definitely give you a boost. Whereas this one has very few runners and therefore the added mental challenge of running by yourself for long periods. It seemed like a very different challenge and I was really interested by that.”

Kelly has had to get used to running in the specialist equipment she’ll need to brave the sub-zero temperatures of Greenland

On the specific dangers that a race in such cold conditions poses, Kelly says: “Your gear is obviously so important. You have to be fully covered and wearing at least three layers all the time, as well as wearing a face-mask and crampons for the ice, both of which you have to get used to running in beforehand.”

While Kelly was able to train in cold conditions this winter and even run with the crampons thanks to the snow in March, the hot summer did little to prepare her for temperatures in Greenland that could drop as low as minus 15.

The school in Nicaragua offers a bilingual curriculum, which is rare in the Central American country

Kelly is using the challenge of the marathon to raise money for Ometepe Bilingal School in southern Nicaragua, which she and her partner came across in May 2017 while cycling through the Central American country.

After finding a deep appreciation for the school’s bilingual curriculum and commitment to sustainability that also spills into the local area, Kelly says she was appalled to hear how the incendiary student riots that broke out in Nicaragua in April were leading to a decline in tourism to the area, and that the school was suffering as a result and could be forced to close.

She resolved to find the toughest challenge she could, in order to raise as much money as possible. “It’s a human-powered challenge,” Kelly wrote on her blog, “and one which I hope will raise some funds for this amazing school, as well as raise some awareness about the issues currently taking place in Nicaragua.”

Help Kelly meet her fundraising target by visiting www.omprakash.org/global/hacienda-merida/crowdfund/polar-circle-marathon-fundraiser-to-support-ometepe-bilingual-school-in-nicaragua