Yasmin’s Marathon March

The Coalition’s Involvement Lead, Yasmin Broome tells us about her Marathon March and her training leading up to it.

I have never been a sporty person so I never dreamed that I would be able to complete any kind of marathon other than a reading one! Then around 8 years ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. In discussion with the consultant, I began going to the gym and taking part in as much exercise as possible including walking my two lovely dogs. This regime and my medication have enabled me to manage the condition apart from the occasional flare up when I’ve ‘over done it’!

Earlier this year, I was travelling on the train to watch Crystal Palace play Leicester City and my friends and I were talking to a member of staff from Crystal Palace. I asked him about the Marathon March and whether people walk really quickly. I had seen a friend of mine take part every year and it made me want to do it, but I didn’t think I could. During the chat I was reassured that although some people go off very fast and treat it like a race, people of various abilities take part.

Following this conversation, I signed up for the Marathon March which was to take place in October 2023. The march raises funds for the Palace for Life Foundation which is the official charity of Crystal Palace F.C. which has been working with the south London community for over 25 years. The charity uses the power of football and the Palace brand to change the lives of young people across south London, particularly the most hard-to-reach and hard-to-help. The charity works with over 15,000 people each year, inspiring them to find a better path and to lead a healthier life.

I signed up in March and immediately started to worry about whether I would be able to raise the minimum amount of £300. I asked my boyfriend and my friends if they would like to join me, but no one fancied it. I was really nervous, not only at the prospect of walking 26.2 miles but also at doing this on my own! At first, I didn’t do much training, I just continued to go to the gym 3 times a week and walk my dogs every day. However, Katy, our Physical Activity Navigator worked out a training plan for me and was really encouraging.

In June, my boyfriend and I decided to walk to central London from our home in Sutton. We got up early on a Saturday and set off following a route we planned on a Garmin fitness watch. The walk took us to Morden, along the river Wandle, through Tooting and Balham, Clapham Common, past Battersea Power station and over Chelsea Bridge to head to Victoria. We passed Buckingham Palace and headed through Green Park and finally arrived at our destination which was Old Bond Street! We treated ourselves to lunch then headed home on the train! The walk back from the station to our home was the longest half mile of my life but we made it.

We had walked just over 14 miles! We did a second practice walk to central London, but this didn’t feel quite as fun as the last. The fact it poured with rain when we left the house meaning we had to walk in soaking wet clothes probably didn’t help, but again we made it to central London. Another lunch was consumed but again we didn’t feel we could face the walk home. I started to really worry that maybe 14 miles was my limit, and I wouldn’t be able to do anymore.

In the meantime, I started to concentrate on my fundraising rather than training. I hit the £300 target and felt I could relax. I felt bad about asking people to sponsor me given the current financial climate, but I was really keen to raise as much as possible. My total rose steadily, and I was really grateful for every single person who donated. I even went on to a Crystal Palace podcast to talk about the event and try to get more sponsors.

I found the day of the march was soon upon me. I got up at 5.30am, packed my rucksack with Lucozade sports, socks, blister plasters and blister spray and my raincoat. I arrived at Selhurst Park (the starting point) at 7.15am. After picking up my t shirt, I went to have breakfast. Unfortunately, this was the worst part of the day as none of it was particularly appetising and the bacon roll I eventually chose used up quite a lot of my energy trying to chew it! I also didn’t want to drink the hot drinks on offer as I didn’t want to keep going to the loo!

I joined the (slow) steady group which set off first. As I didn’t know anyone else who was taking part, I attached myself to someone and set off. The first part of the March was uphill, and I was beginning to think I wouldn’t make the 26.2 miles if there were many more hills! However, we made it to the first stop and then we kept going until we reached the lunch venue. I was very lucky to be able to speak to Andrew Johnson, one of our ex-players, on the way and I’m sure this spurred me on. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed pesto pasta as much as I did that day!

I can’t lie, the second half of the march was brutal. I don’t think I ate enough, and this began to take its toll. Luckily, there were some really lovely lady cyclists who kept an eye on us and dished out packets of Haribo. Having never eaten a whole packet of Haribo in my life before I devoured the whole bag. At the last stop I guzzled down an apple juice too quickly and made myself feel sick! I kept going because by this point, I had raised just over £1000. An amount I could never have imagined raising. When it came to the last mile, I had lost the will to live but knew I had no option but to keep going. I have never been so happy in my life to see Selhurst Park Stadium ahead of me. I almost burst into tears as I was cheered over the finish line and presented with my medal. In all, the walk had taken just over 8 hours. I was limping but I managed to complete a circuit of the pitch and have my photo taken in the dug out and the changing room. I couldn’t stay for the party though as I think my body went into a bit of shock! So, I had to leave my marathon buddy to celebrate on his own. We had helped each other get round the course having never met before that day.

I had achieved something I never thought I could, a Marathon! 63,990 steps and 3,550 calories burned. I was so very proud of myself. I found out a few people had been watching me using the tracking link from my watch. Others were following my posts on Instagram and Facebook. Lots of people donated, so far, I have raised £1,141! The March raised a record total of £103,777.

The most asked question was, would you do it again? Just after I finished, I really wasn’t sure but now that my blisters have healed, I’ve decided I will be back next year! One of my friends has already decided to join me so I’m hoping we can get a group of us. You may wonder why I’m telling you this, it’s because I didn’t think a marathon was possible for me, for many reasons but I’ve done it, and now my aim is to better my time next year. However, it’s important to remember that we all have our own targets and things that are an achievement for us. We should all celebrate our achievements. Even thinking about exercise can be daunting for many of us but with the support of family, friends, or a Physical Activity Navigator we can do it!