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Tami Tsujimura
Both work for charitable social enterprise GLL which runs leisure centres across London under the ‘Better’ brand – Lara Bone is Community Sports Officer in Barnet, while Tami Tsujimura is a swimming instructor in Mitcham.
For Lara, aged 22, running the London Marathon was something she’d always dreamed of doing. Following a sudden surge of middle-of-the-night determination last spring, she went online and signed up.
In her job she encourages customers of all ages to get fit, have fun and make friends. Following her own advice, she has been preparing for the iconic event with a year of intensive training, running most days as well as cycling and going to the gym.
“I like to think of myself as sporty,” she admits. “I used to do swimming, netball and rounders at school.
“However, my first goal was always to become a paramedic and I hope to achieve this one day. That’s why I’m running the Marathon to raise £2k for St John’s Ambulance. They do brilliant work and they’ll be there on the day, providing first-aid for everyone.”
Meanwhile, Tami, aged 46, has tried a few times to sign up for one of the Marathon’s free places (names are ‘picked out of a hat’) and has at last been successful.
“It’s good to try something new!” she enthuses. “I like the atmosphere at the Marathon – everyone seems so friendly and encouraging.”
Although Tami is an accomplished athlete who swims competitively, enters triathlons and has taken part in the ‘Ride London’ 100-mile cycle race, she admits she hasn’t followed a specific training regime to prepare for the Marathon.
“I started running during the Covid lockdowns because I wasn’t able to swim,” she explains. “When I entered a triathlon after that, I found my running time wasn’t too bad!
“I think I will be able to do the Marathon – I’ll be doing a 10k run and a half-marathon in the run-up to the event. I’ve had lots of advice from people but I think I’ll just turn up on the day and see how I feel.”
Lara’s friends and family – including her nana, who is 99 years old – will be cheering her on at the roadside on the day. “They’re all very proud of me but I think they thought it was a joke, at first, that I was taking part. They’ll have to change their minds now!”
Although she doesn’t plan to wear a costume, she is open to suggestions. “I’m good at embarrassing myself!”
Tami has two children, aged 10 and 13, who are good swimmers but haven’t yet shown an interest in running. “They’ve come to watch me swim lots of times,” she says, “but I don’t know if they’ll come to the Marathon. Everyone runs past so quickly – they’re there and a moment later they’re gone!”
Lara’s funding page can be found at – https://www.justgiving.com/page/lara-bone-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
