Army veteran running Africa ultra-marathon raising funds for military rehabilitation
An Army veteran is to spend her birthday running an ultra-marathon across Tanzania to raise funds to help fellow veterans tackle the "petrifying" obstacle of reintegrating into civilian life.
Tricia Sinclair, who lives in Twickenham, London, is taking part in Ultra X Tanzania, a multi-stage ultra-marathon, which crosses Mount Kilimanjaro and takes place across five days starting today – the date of her 37th birthday.
Ms Sinclair served in the Army for 14 years between 2008 and 2022, going on five operational tours, describing the experience as "both challenging and exhilarating" and one she will "always be grateful for".
Ms Sinclair now works as the director of fitness for charity REORG, which helps rehabilitate veterans, military and emergency services personnel through functional fitness and jiu-jitsu, and felt that the timing of the mammoth event was perfect as it coincided with the launch of some of the charity's new programmes.
She hopes to raise £30,000 from the ultra-marathon to allow 100 military, veterans and emergency services personnel to go through the charity's 60 fitness programme – which uses cross-fit to improve health and wellbeing.
Ms Sinclair credited REORG as playing a fundamental role in helping her adjust to life post-service.
"The idea of leaving the service is massive, it's so daunting, it's petrifying, because the idea of transferable skills and surviving in the civilian world is massive," she said.
The Army veteran added: "My transition has been made so much easier because first of all, REORG offered me a job as a full-time member of staff, which has been amazing because it is surrounded around fitness, which I am massively passionate about, and it's supporting people that I've been working with for the past 14 years.
"(And) I thought, what better way to spend (my birthday) than lots of hours on my feet, running around Tanzania with lots to see and experience?"
Ms Sinclair is to run 250km throuhgout the challenge, with the veteran saying that days three and four are "probably going to be the most challenging", with day three being the day the runners make a 3,700m traverse up Kilimanjaro.
"Day four is all in the mountains," she added. "It will be super hilly – lots of incline and decline which, as you can imagine, puts a lot of pressure on the joints."
She is expected to catch glimpses of sugar plantations, Namalok Nature Reserve and the Blue Mountains on the route.
She said training has been "interesting", especially since Twickenham and the surrounding areas do not have "a great amount of hills and nothing on the scale of Kilimanjaro".
'Completely honest' journey
While running in Tanzania, Ms Sinclair will use a GoPro to "capture the bits where I'm absolutely hanging out, the bits where I'm really struggling and digging really deep".
"Obviously, I want to enjoy the experience and I’m looking forward to seeing how I react and how my body reacts, but I'm going to be completely honest about the whole process for me and the journey," she added.
"If there's points where I'm crying because I don't want to take another step, that's what I'd be keen to capture."
She added that she may even cry a few happy tears as her dad is to fly out to meet her at the finish line.
"I just know the moment I see him that I'll just probably burst into tears."
Ms Sinclair also hopes to inspire others to move out of their comfort zone by seeking solace in the fact that she has "never run anything over a marathon before".
"I did my first ever marathon back in 2010 in Afghanistan," she said.
"I'm just a normal person and I wouldn't even count myself as a natural runner – I have to work really hard at it.
"I want to inspire others to really challenge their mental resilience – it might look like going to the gym for the first time ever or even going for a walk."
Donations can be made on Ms Sinclair's JustGiving page here.
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