Ana Simmonds, wife of Mobility Choice trustee Mike Simmonds, is competing in the 2016 London Marathon for the first time and raising vital funds for the charity in the process. 

UK charity Mobility Choice was established in 1998 and focuses on advancing independent mobility for people with disabilities and older people. It is responsible for organising the annual Mobility Roadshow and similar events, establishing advice and guidance centres and overseeing specialist driving programmes for disabled and older people. 

Ana is relatively new to running and the London Marathon will be the longest distance race she has entered.  Ana competed in her first race two years ago on the spur of the moment, to fund raise for children with autism. Having caught the running bug, she has been training and competing ever since but modestly claims she is “the most unnatural long distance runner you’ll ever see”.

Ana comments, “My first race was a real personal achievement. It was five miles which was a long way for me at the time! However, I was soon hooked and have worked hard over the last two years to improve fitness and the distance I can achieve.”

Ana’s training has not always gone smoothly as she has her own personal battles to overcome. Ana lives with arthritis, asthma and hypermobility which has meant she frequently suffers with injury. Indeed, training for this year’s marathon has left Ana coping with hip pain and tendinitis as well as an unexpected piece of metal falling on her foot.

Despite the setbacks, Ana is focussing on completing the marathon and enjoying the fantastic event atmosphere. She would love to finish the race in under five hours but her main goal is to raise funds for Mobility Choice, a charity she feel passionately about.

Ana explains, “Mobility Choice’s primary function is to organize the popular Mobility Roadshow each year. This free to enter event is the largest of its kind in the UK. It provides accessible driving solutions, unique test drives and hands on mobility options. Any funds I can raise for Mobility Choice will allow this amazing event, for people living with disabilities, to continue to grow from strength to strength as well as supporting all the other important work the charity undertakes”.

To support Ana Simonds visit: https://www.justgiving.com/AnaSimmonds

For more information on Mobility Choice and the 2016 Mobility Roadshow (Silverstone Circuit, Northants. 26-28^th May) visit: www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk