Tell me about yourself and how you got to know about JRS UK.
My name is Yumi. I’m from Japan and have been living in London for about three years now. London is a very special place for me, where I make endless discoveries every day and keep falling in love with the city. I live in Wapping, where the JRS UK centre is also located. I heard about JRS UK from Mark, a member of my local running club, Wapping Running Club. He also fundraised for JRS UK last year for the London Marathon.
Why you wanted to get involved in fundraising for JRS UK.
Running the London Marathon is really special for runners all around the world. I’ve been applying for a ballot place but never got it, like so many others. Last year, I just missed the ‘Good For Age’ qualifying time by one minute. I could wait and challenge myself for another year to make the qualifying time, but when I heard about the opportunity with JRS UK, I thought it would be a great chance for me to make a difference and run for a good cause.
Japan does not have a big fundraising culture, so I didn’t know where to start. However, with the incredible support from the JRS friends especially Fiona, Loddan, Jules and Liam, and friends and family, I started to come up with creative fundraising ideas. With great appreciation, I’m now close to reaching my target, which is truly amazing.
What makes running the London Marathon so special
For all marathon runners, completing the world’s 7 major marathons is a dream (London, Berlin, NYC, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, and the recently added Sydney). I’ve completed Berlin, NYC, and Tokyo so far, but everyone says London is the best of the best among those majors because of the amazing crowds all the way from start to finish and the beautiful scenery, especially the finish at Buckingham Palace.
I can’t wait to run through my local Wapping area, which is around the 13km and 28km marks, where many familiar faces will be there to cheer the runners on.
How is your fundraising going?
As I mentioned earlier, there isn’t a big fundraising culture where I’m from, so this was almost my first experience with it. It started off really slow because I hesitated to reach out to people around me. However, with the tremendous help of the JRS staff, my running club, running community friends, co-workers, friends, and family, I began to receive more support from about 10 weeks to go. Now, it’s almost there!
What’s your training like?
When you’re training for a marathon, it feels like having another full-time job. You’re always thinking about how to keep the training going, finding time for consistent workouts, staying injury-free, avoiding illness, and improving your performance. I focus on three things: long slow runs, tempo runs (at race pace), and speed training, and easy runs in between. I hope I’m on the right track and can make it within 3:40 this time.
What’s your long-term goal in life?
I want to live my life to the fullest, but I also believe doing everything in moderation. I would love to keep running while staying healthy, happy, and always grateful to others. Hopefully, I can complete the world’s 7 majors in the near future.
In life, I want to continue being involved in making a difference for others. There are so many people suffering due to their circumstances, and if I can make even a small difference through my actions, that’s my lifelong goal — to support and uplift others.
Donate to Yumi’s fundraising page
