Georgie Runs '5k a Day' for the NHS!

Our hugely successful ‘QAS Around the World for the NHS’ fundraising challenge has resulted in 30,924 miles walked, and £3,706 raised for NHS Charities Together! All of our community have showed admirable Queen Anne’s School spirit in their participation in this challenge.

One student who decided to go above and beyond, and created their own challenge to support our cause, is Sport Prefect Georgie R (U6). Georgie decided to run ‘5K a Day’ throughout the month of May and share her progress with her peers on social media to encourage everyone to take part in the ‘QAS Around the World for the NHS’ fundraising challenge!

“I decided to take up this challenge, as my step-dad is working as a doctor and I wanted to show my gratitude for all those who are working in the NHS on the front line, as well as in the background” Georgie explained. “Then the idea came to me and I thought that this would be a good way to show that I am truly inspired by all the incredible work that they have done!”

Georgie created an Instagram account to document her progress each day and encourage her friends and peers to take part in outdoor activity and fundraising alongside her. As one of our Sports Prefects, this was a great initiative to encourage and support the Queen Anne’s Community to look after their physical and mental health during the national lockdown.

“In this isolation period it would be very easy to stay inside all day. Therefore I am aiming to make sure that as many people as possible are getting involved, and hoping that some people may be inspired by what I am doing and take part in their own challenge.”

Through social media, Georgie received many messages of support and encourages from her friends, families and peers, which provided great motivation, since they could not support each other in person.

“Whenever I begin to struggle or feel tired and low, my friends and family are immediately trying to pick me up, either by joining my on the run that day (virtually) or just by sending messages over social media. My friends even made me a video when I reached halfway through my month-long challenge, which was such great motivation! It is really satisfying to reach these different milestones and feel the runs becoming easier, and also knowing that the money that I have raised is going towards helping all those working and putting themselves at risk.”

By day 22, the daily runs were becoming difficult, and Georgie needed some extra motivation. So, she decided to organise a mass virtual run! Friends, family and members of the Queen Anne’s Community walked, ran and cycled the 5km for day 23 alongside Georgie ‘virtually’, and shared photos and videos of themselves doing so. By doing this they were also able to add another 3 miles to their ‘QAS Around the World for the NHS’ challenge contribution!

“The virtual run was much more successful than I had anticipated, as I received 33 messages along with photos of people who had taken part in the day! It went very well - my friends and family have been a massive part of the motivation for me to carry on!”

Thanks to all the support Georgie received, she was even able to increase her challenge in her final week by running 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and finally 10km on her final day! Overall Georgie ran 188km over one month, and raised an amazing £775 from her efforts alone, to support NHS Charities Together.

Georgie's GoFundMe page is still open if you would like to support her amazing challenge and NHS Charities Together.

Congratulations Georgie, we are all so inspired and proud!