• 6th March 2023

Recruiter races to raise funds for Sailors’ Society!

Navis Consulting are proving to be an athletic lot! This time, our very own Holly Noonan will be taking on the TCS London Marathon on 23rd April 2023 to raise funds for Sailors’ Society.

Last year, Holly ran for Sailor’s Society in the New Forest Half Marathon, and immediately got the bug! This year’s London Marathon will be her first-ever full marathon, and she’s incredibly excited to do it for such a great cause.

In preparation for the big race, Holly is training most evenings and weekends to raise money and awareness for Sailors’ Society. She’s now well into her training schedule, having run 18 miles 2 weeks ago, 10 miles last weekend and aiming for 20 this weekend. Whilst tough, the long runs give her a real feeling of accomplishment once she gets home.

I am so excited for the marathon but also very nervous, all I want is just to complete it, no matter how long it takes me. I have had a few injuries on the way which I’ve been working through and have a close friend who has been guiding me and giving me treatment. I had an injury on my Achilles when I was younger and was told I would never be able to run a marathon but now here I am! I have been listening to my body carefully and taking rests when I need to.

I’m super excited to see the sites around London, meet the Sailors’ Society team and raise as much money as possible!

For 200 years, Sailors’ Society has supported seafarers, their families and maritime communities. They are the oldest maritime charity in the world, dedicated to caring for merchant seafarers through chaplaincy and spiritual guidance to welfare support, access to education and financial help for those in desperate need. Their Chaplains and ship visitors have a presence in more than 80 ports around the world, with community projects and services spanning 21 countries.

Holly’s story

I’ve always wanted to run the London Marathon after watching my Dad complete it a couple of years ago. I wanted to do it for charity and with my Grandpa and other family members being in the Navy and me now working closely with this sector, I thought was a good match. I met Gemma from the Sailors’ Society at a boat show and handed over the opportunity to run to Neil last year as I wasn’t far enough in my running at that time to be able to take on the whole marathon. Instead, I entered the New Forest Half Marathon as a starter and offered to raise money for them at this race. This was the start of a long relationship I developed with Gemma from the Sailors’ Society, who made sure I had a place for this year.

Sailors’ Society helps to provide front line support to many seafarers facing adversities, providing both practical and emotional support to approximately 23,000 seafarers each month. The charity has also been at the forefront of helping seafarers affected by the crisis in Ukraine; a nation with a huge maritime community whose suffering has shocked us all over the last year.

I am honoured to run the London Marathon this year and represent Sailors’ Society and raise awareness of their amazing work.

Holly has the additional challenge of managing a rare type of diabetes as she trains, and has to make sure her sugars don’t get too high or drop too low. Luckily, she has the support of friends, family and colleagues, some of whom have completed marathons before, such as Hollie Smith, Director at Navis Consulting, who’s been providing advice on the right kit, gels, routine and recovery.

Together, we can help change lives across the world by helping to fund the wide spectrum of services on offer from Sailors’ Society. Holly is aiming to raise £2,000 – £2,500 for the charity. Please show her your support by donating whatever you can via the button below. She’s hugely grateful for any pennies you can spare. Make sure to follow Holly and Navis Consulting on LinkedIn to stay up to date!

For support with your candidate or job search in Maritime please get in touch with our specialist recruiters today.