Ms Wright’s challenge kicks off with the 26.2-mile London Marathon on April 28, and continues just two weeks later with the Dukeries Ultra Marathon – a 40-mile loop event beginning and ending in the heart of Sherwood Forest.
Although Ms Wright has been training intensively this year – last month completing the 20-mile Ashby road race – running is a relatively new passion.
She explains: “Prior to 2016 I had never raced, but decided to try and raise funds for our then-partner Alzheimer’s Society by running 100 miles throughout the year. Having accomplished this, I upped the stakes last year to 200 miles – and this year I wanted to raise the bar even higher, hence the decision to tackle my first ever Ultra race.
“I am thrilled to be raising money for our charity partners and as my journey has progressed, I can truly say I have discovered a passion for running; I’ve met new friends – and have even roped teammates into the cause!”
One such colleague is the company’s operations director John Peck. He said: “Dani’s abundant passion for running has inspired me – to the point where I have this year set myself the challenge of running 1,000 kilometres to raise money for Make-A-Wish UK. Last month, I was delighted to complete the Weymouth 10k race in under an hour – my first race since the school sports day 100-yard dash in 1974!”
Primaflow F&P has already raised £4,000 for Make-A-Wish UK via Ms Wright and Mr Peck’s efforts, as well as a staff raffle – with other fundraising activity in the pipeline.
Shaun Campbell, senior community engagement manager from Make-A-Wish explains that the funds raised will prove valuable to the charity’s work: “Our mission is to grant transformational wishes to amazing children, at a time when they need it most. These wishes help to create incredible memories for children and their families, build confidence and provide respite from the daily struggles that come with a critical illness. Funds such as those raised by Primaflow F&P mean we can continue to make dreams come true – and we wish Dani and John the very best with their forthcoming races.”
Make-A-Wish UK is Primaflow F&P’s chosen charity partner for 2019 and 2020. The company has raised more than £30,000 in previous fundraising campaigns for charities including Alzheimer’s Society, Macmillan Cancer Support and Whizz-Kidz.
Ms Wright will chart her marathon progress at the JustGiving page, where donations can be made to Make-A-Wish UK: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/theultra2019