LOCAL woman, Eloise Nice, completed the Edinburgh Marathon last month, saying it was ‘the most amazing, gruelling and wonderful experience’ of her life.
Eloise ran the marathon for The Humane Society International, a charity which aims to end the dog meat industry, a campaign close to her heart. To date, she has raised almost £1,500.
Eloise said, “The sun kept threatening to come out, coupled with a fairly strong wind at times and by the time we started running, the sun was out and the temperature soared, along with the humidity. Quite frankly this was exactly the opposite of what I hoped for as I was instantly uncomfortable and the energy quickly drained from my body.
“My dear friend Charlotte Rushmere and I ran together for the first 10 miles, we chatted and laughed the whole time refusing to succumb to any negativity. Instead, we thought of all the positives to each negative and let’s face it, there were so many things to be grateful for.
“Running has taught me many things and one thing that is definitely true is that a positive attitude can make or break you (much harder to put into practice as it requires a lot of effort). Having Char by my side helped me remain upbeat and calm, which set me up for the rest of the race.
“Running a marathon was one of the most amazing, gruelling and wonderful experiences of my life. Aside from the grimaces I beamed like the sun, an enormous smile on my face for a good part of it. The crowd support was truly uplifting, I wonder if those people realise just what a difference they make. The camaraderie from other runners, care and consideration for others, people who had lost people, I felt humbled and so fortunate to be there among them. I felt proud to wear my top, to speak for those with no voice.
“The support of my ever long suffering and kind husband Marco Nice, my dear, dear mum and dad who really don’t get why I put myself through it but try to understand and built their whole holiday around seeing me run, Charlotte my treasured friend who provides so much humour and someone to put the world to rights with and to her family who provided calm and beautiful smiles at the start and finish. A day that brought home to me friendship and family. A day that I shall never forget.”
Eloise will be holding a candlelight vigil on Tuesday 20th June on the Frome Showground from 6.30pm and would like local people to join her. The vigil will be followed by a short talk and walk around the field. Dogs and children welcome.
“The idea is to raise awareness for the plight of the 10,000 dogs and cats that are purposely tortured in excruciating ways before becoming a person’s dinner in China alone. However there will be no gruesome pictures! For me personally I want to do all I can throughout the year to raise awareness, fundraise and involve influential figures in our society to press for change. I am hoping some of our local councillors will join us for the vigil.
“I see the vigil as a symbol of hope and a way to recognise what is going on in Asia at this time. I hope that Frome, as a tight-knit community of animal lovers and generally people who strive for a better future globally, will join me in showing their support. By doing this we will raise awareness and add to the pressure to bring this vile and barbaric custom to an end, through the media.”
Picture: Eloise and Charlotte
