As part of a fundraising campaign for Khalsa Aid International, two local residents have taken on a half-marathon which saw them don their running shoes and traverse from Ebbsfleet all the way to Rochester.
Sat Gill, a local resident from Ebbsfleet Valley, and Kirpal Sall, a local to Gravesend, raised over an incredible £3,300 for charity taking on the 13-mile charity event towards the end of the May.
CommunityAd were lucky enough to catch up with Sat, one half of the running-duo, to find out a little bit more about the motivation behind the run and how they fared when they hit the dreaded ‘runners wall’.
Sat explained: “I watched the latest news at the beginning of May on the day before I was due to have my COVID vaccine and felt completely helpless when watching the UK news about India’s catastrophic situation to do with COVID victims and their families being in a dire state of urgent care and lacking oxygen facilities.
“I decided to overcome my frustrations by preparing for a half marathon to raise funds for Khalsa Aid, an international humanitarian charity who helps worldwide causes. They have been running for over 20 years and are known for turning up immediately where help is needed.”
Sat and Kirpal wanted to explore the amazing scenery that links urban to rural areas, explaining: “Ebbsfleet is an upcoming developing community and running from a developing location that had unhindered the best of nature through Gravesend, leafy Higham Village full of orchids, through Strood and into historic Rochester filled us with motivation and enthusiasm to complete our run.
“We got to mile 9 through hilly Lower Higham Village and that was the toughest part as we thought that we had struck a brick wall in terms of resilience, but we managed to overcome this as we reached the beautiful orchards and felt a new surge of energy as we got to mile 11 of our journey.”
Can you recall the emotions you felt after completing the half-marathon?
“I felt a huge sense of gratitude for having been in a state of good mental and physical health to do something that made a difference to the world in this international pandemic.”
You’ve raised £3,301 which is incredible, what would you like to say to the people who have donated to your fundraiser?
“I wish to thank each and every person who donated to our page and to Khalsa Aid International. This pandemic has touched the world in so many ways and everyone who donated has made a difference to the lives of COVID victims.
“Friends, family, people in the local Ebbsfleet community, colleagues, clients and people we do not know have come forward to offer support through donations and this is so appreciated. £50 has allowed Khalsa Aid to purchase an oxygen concentrator. In total Khalsa Aid sent out over 400 oxygen concentrators to India in the last month.
“I love living in Ebbsfleet as it is an upcoming community full of support and care. People look out for one another and offer a smile as they walk by. It’s a great place to live and enjoy the best between both London and the heart of Kent countryside.”