You may recently have seen two girls running around Swansea at about 6 in the morning. Don’t worry, they haven’t lost their minds, they’re actually in training to run a half marathon.
Wolfestone team members Shiona Oldham and Helen Courtney are about to participate in the Bristol Half Marathon and have been training by running four to five times per week before the working day starts. At the same time as most of us are beginning to contemplate what to have for breakfast, the two athletes in question have already completed several miles of high-tempo running. All of this is to enable them to pound the streets of Avon this coming Sunday in order to raise money for charity. Their chosen special cause is Help for Heroes which assists in the rehabilitation of servicemen injured whilst in action. All money raised will go towards helping people, some of whom have very severe and life-changing injuries. Shiona added “I have found the training very rewarding and I am hoping to run the race in record time. I served in the RAF and still have friends there so the Help for Heroes charity means a lot to me.”
Wolfestone Translation believes that these sorts of endeavours should be backed to the hilt, and has therefore agreed to match the sum that Shiona and Helen raise pound for pound. This means that Help for Heroes will shortly be receiving a donation of approximately £1000, which will be used to help people who truly deserve it. Helen stated “We started running back in January, when the mornings were cold, wet and very dark but our aim of running the Bristol half marathon kept us motivated. Never having run a half marathon before, all I am hoping for is a decent time. I will be happy with anything around the 2 hour mark…..but as long as I don’t fall over I’ll be very happy. To top it all off, we have managed to raise not far short of £1,000 for a very worthy cause. Thank you to all of our family, friends and colleagues for their support, and also a huge thank you to Wolfestone for agreeing to match what we have raised.”
It is also part of a wider Wolfestone strategy to encourage healthy behaviour amongst employees. Next year, Shiona Oldham and Helen Courtney intend to go one better and complete the full Edinburgh Marathon. Several members of staff are now participating in Zumba sessions, which involve a fusion of Latin rhythms and easy-to-learn moves. Additionally, three team members are planning to complete a team triathlon next year. All of this is expected to contribute to a healthier, fitter workforce at Wolfestone Translation. In order to facilitate this, Wolfestone is converting one of the unused offices into a fitness facility where staff can work out using a Wii Fit. Director Anna Bastek said of the scheme “Promoting health and well-being is important to Wolfestone. After all, employees are our biggest asset. Fit employees have more energy, are less stressed, have a more positive attitude and it’s also great for team building. In addition to this, supporting charitable events gives them a sense of pride and satisfaction and we as a company are always happy to support good causes.”
In Picture:Helen Courtney and Shiona Oldham
Sep 2010
