Supporting Ella's
This story is from Minke van Til who will be running the full Clarendon with us this year to raise money for the charity Ella's who support women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Her story is as follows:
My trail running journey began in 2019, when my colleague asked me if I wanted to do a 6-day ultra in the Azores. I had never run more than about 10km and the idea seemed mental to me, but I somehow agreed to sign up. I work for Ella’s, a charity supporting survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation and the purpose of the run was to fundraise for our second safe house.
I quickly learned that, for me, long-distance trail running is not about speed but about being in nature and connecting with others. Long training runs, of moving picnics, became a welcome escape from the busy city life. My body would feel shattered in the evening but my mind restored.
The training months paid off, and although I was pretty much crawling over the finish line, I completed the 6-day ultra, and together with all the other runners, we raised £160,000 for survivors of modern slavery.
I still run, and I love being on the trails. But I have since had a baby which also felt like a major physical challenge! The Clarendon marathon is my first big run since being pregnant and I am once again doing it to raise money for Ella’s. My friend Ellie is joining me, a newbie to long-distance trail running and we are excited to get out there, connect with other runners and share the joy of being in nature.
Ellie and I both lived in Salisbury for a few years, and we loved going out into the countryside on walks, cycle rides, and swimming in the rivers. For us, this run is very special and a way to reconnect with all the beauty that Wiltshire and Hampshire have to offer.
If you would like to support Ella’s or get involved with our work, I’d love to hear from you! Here is a link to my fundraising page:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Minke-van-Til
Ella’s mission is to ensure survivors of trafficking and exploitation have all they need to recover and build lives that are safe and free.
To achieve this, we offer:
• safe house accommodation for women when they are most vulnerable
• care to help them recover and move forward
• long-term community-based support to help survivors build safe, independent lives.
To find out more, or get involved, here is a link to our website:
