Hampshire teacher is completing 13 challenges to raise cash for Southampton's army of young carers

Polly Sinnett-Jones is taking on 13 challenges for 2013 in aid of the city’s vulnerable young carers.

It’s hard to believe just six months ago Polly hated running and had no regular exercise regime.

Now the 32-year-old has completed nine gruelling challenges from 10k events and kayak races in temperatures plummeting to as low as -4C to ultra marathons where she has run 50 miles in one day.

And now she is in training for her ultimate challenge: running 250km across a South African desert in temperatures of 45C for the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon.

But the teacher at Southampton’s King Edward VI School is taking it in her stride- even setting herself a list of tongue-in-cheek ‘unofficial challenges’.

These include learning to like porridge, learning to love running and to smile no matter how much pain she is in.

She said: “I’m not sure which challenges are harder- probably the unofficial ones! I still don’t like porridge and I’m still learning to like running but I have managed an ultra marathon.

“Most people take a life time to train to do things like this so to do it in nine months would mean the world to me. It’s either stupidity or sheer determination.”

It was on New Year’s Eve that Polly started planning her epic fundraising challenges.

She was outraged at the council’s plans to axe Southampton Young Carers Project annual £89,000 grant and was determined to save the service.

Although the project has since received news the project will lose out on 20 per cent of its funding, Polly, who organises summer camps for young carers, is determined to bridge the deficit with her fundraising and raise awareness of the organisation.

She said: “I’ve seen first-hand what a fantastic support they are to many young people in the city. I decided to do the Kalahari Extreme Marathon then I just thought it’s 2013, an unlucky number, but perhaps it would be lucky if I did 13 challenges.

Polly, who has already raised more than £6,000, said although active she only began running in January.

But she didn’t let that get in the way – rather using it as a way to encourage as many people as possible to join in the challenges with her.

She said: “I’ve got a motto – ‘because life is too short to sit still.’ I don’t think I’m amazing at running at all but as long as you have got the mental drive and you put your mind to it, anything is possible.”

Polly, who says she is inspired by her friend Mark Miller who has completed challenges with her, said she is now starting to train for the final and most gruelling event – the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon.

Training will involve spending hours in saunas and running with weighty back-packs because she is required to run with a week’s worth of food.

Polly, who is supported by TCL Sports, Torq, SS Shieldhall and Ordnance Survey, said: “Crossing that finishing line would mean the world to me. I’d be the happiest person ever. But the idea behind Challenge 13 was also to encourage other people to get involved and seeing some of my friends take part in different challenges and push their limits has been inspirational and they have made the pain a lot more bearable.

“Although an active person I certainly wasn’t a runner and I hope I show with some great support and a bit of determination we can do anything.”

To support Polly go to challenge13.co.uk

THE CHALLENGES

1 Brutal Bordon 10k

2 The Waterside Series (four kayaking races)

3 Devizes to Westminster Kayak Race 4 Shakespeare Marathon

4 Shakespeare Marathon

5 The New Forest Pony Express (First Ultra marathon – 60 miles in 2 days)

6 Cardiff Ultra (50 miles in a day)

7 South Downs Way Run or Ride (106 miles in 2 days)

8 Endure24 – 24hr Team Running Event

9 Great Western Sportive (cycling around the Marlborough Downs)

To be continued...

10 Andover Triathlon (first triathlon)

11 Cotswolds 100 (100 miles in 4 days)

12 The Helly Hansen Beauty & The Beast (very hilly marathon)

13 Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon