Agnes MizziGozitan athlete Agnes Mizzi, together with fellow Maltese runners Josette Portelli, Bernard Farrugia and Claudine Zerafa, will be running the London Marathon on April 23 to help raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
The four athletes will be running a distance of 42 km along and around the River Thames area, starting from Greenwich and ending in front of Buckingham Palace.
“I believe every runner’s dream is to run a full marathon at some point in their career. You can only run the London Marathon if you’re a British citizen or an elite runner, unless you do it for charity. So I decided to run and raise funds for cystic fibrosis,” said Ms Mizzi, who is a full-time travel agent by profession.
Her good friend, Josette Falzon, the main fundraiser for cystic fibrosis in Malta, has been raising funds since 2015 because her daughter Francesca suffers from the condition.
“This is how it all started,” Ms Mizzi said.
Cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening genetic condition that slowly destroys the lungs and digestive system. The faulty cystic fibrosis gene controls the movement of salt and water in and out of the cells within the body.
People with cystic fibrosis face a lifelong challenge, involving vast daily intakes of drugs, time-consuming physiotherapy and isolation from others with the condition, just to stay healthy. “Therefore every penny counts to find a cure,” Ms Falzon said.
“When fundraising for cystic fibrosis kicked off in Malta, it was meant to be a one-off sit-down gala dinner and our aim was to raise €12,000, but people kept coming up with fundraising ideas and events. Twelve years on, I’m proud to say that we have raised over €300,000.”
Endorphins trigger a positive feeling in your body. This then gives me the courage and determination to do good things
The CF Trust’s two main annual fundraising events are a group of walkers and runners for the Malta Marathon and a November stand-up party, which many people look forward to.
“Apart from raising money, we have also managed to create a lot of awareness, which is very important too. At least now most people know what cystic fibrosis is,” Ms Falzon explained.
Ms Mizzi cannot physically train with her athlete friends, as she lives and works in Gozo. However, she feels fortunate to be supported by her many Gozitan friends who are helping her train for the big event.
“I generally go on long runs early on Sunday mornings. Nothing comes easy in life. To be able to train for such long distances, you have to abstain from going out and train late after work. But, with sacrifice, support and good time management, I feel I’m on the right path,” she said.
Ms Portelli said: “Running is great. Running a marathon is even better. Running a marathon for a good cause is the best thing ever. I’m ecstatic to be running the London Marathon for cystic fibrosis, because I believe that every effort, no matter how small, can help. I truly hope that a cure will be found.”
Mr Farrugia said running was a way of life and running for a charity was a fantastic motivator. “The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is a charity close to my heart.”
Ms Zerafa said she dedicates this marathon to all CF sufferers and to one special person close to her heart.
What will this experience give the runners? “Finishing the London Marathon will be such a rewarding achievement Training for the marathon is a mean feat; therefore, it will be the biggest reward for our hard work.”
Asked why she runs, Ms Mizzi said since she has a rather busy office job, running helps her maintain a positive and healthy outlook on life.
“My target is to raise £2,100. This will help the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to continue improving its research to finally find a cure.”
Believing to be a positive person, with lots of energy to spare and being ready to help whenever she can, this is the first time Ms Mizzi is running for charity on such a large scale.
“Running is becoming ever more popular. I believe it does not only help physically but also mentally. It’s a relief from stress. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These also trigger a positive feeling in your body. This then gives me the courage and determination to do good things.”
Those wishing to donate can do so on http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com or directly to any of the runners. For more information, you can also visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/runningforacure.