GHH Newspaper Issue 5 Jan 25 - Flipbook - Page 7
Ben runs the
Brighton Half
Our very own Ben Swindells, Group Operations
Director, recently took on the Brighton Half
Marathon with WOLO Foundation
WOLO was founded by Fler and Justin, two incredible individuals who built the
foundation after their own personal experience dealing with the impact of cancer
on their family. WOLO is a charity we’re proud to partner with at Pearly Cow
Brighton, to help support families living in Sussex affected by cancer.
What inspired you to take on the Brighton Half Marathon?
I’ve been running for a few years now and did the 10km as part of the Brighton
Marathon in 2023. Since then, I wanted to continue to push myself, so I completed
the Beachy Head Half with my wife in 2024 and then knew I wanted to do another
in 2025, so I chose the Brighton Half Marathon. Running gives me an escape from
my day job and dad-life so it helps me mentally.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned from the experience?
Getting runs in and finding balance with work and also family life is definitely a
challenge. It’s easy to not want to do it after a long day, but you have to push
yourself and get it done. I didn’t prepare as well as I wanted, but if you want to do
something and give yourself a target, you can achieve it, you just have to apply
yourself and push through the pain.
How was the atmosphere in Brighton and how did it feel crossing the line?
Incredible. There were 10,000 people running this year, the weather was perfect glorious sunshine but nice and cool. It was a very special day. Crossing the line was
great and felt so rewarding to know I’d finished and also got a personal best which
was amazing.
Who did you run for and why?
I ran for WOLO, a charity very close to me who we also support at Pearly Cow Brighton. The charity is local to
Brighton and are doing great things to help support families in Sussex affected by cancer.
Their mantra is: We Only Live Once - enjoy doing the things you love, with the people you love.
How did you push through any tough moments?
At 15km, as I passed No. 124, the pain kicked in, but I had my wife,
Karlie and children, Finley and Grace cheering me on. They had their
banners and high-fived me which gave me the boost I needed.
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