102 miles in 24 hours: Ultramarathon fundraiser for disadvantaged children

Andreas takes on the 102-mile ultramarathon fundraiser to raise £3000 for Action Tutoring

Andreas Vassiliou has been volunteering as a tutor with Action Tutoring since January this year. Each week, makes time to provide maths tutoring to pupils in community schools in Lambeth and Islington, London.

After experiencing first-hand the value of tutoring and our consistent advocacy in education, Andreas has become a strong proponent of Action Tutoring’s mission. He believes in the charity’s work to help pupils make meaningful academic progress as a means to open doors to better future opportunities.

“I have seen first hand the impact Action Tutoring has, and I also admire the determination of Action Tutoring to advocate for policy changes at the national level”

Andreas

In May, Andreas decided to up his support by taking on a daunting, personal fundraising challenge – a 24-hour ultramarathon.

When Andreas was deciding to take on this test of endurance for charity, he knew two things: he would run to fundraise for Action Tutoring and this challenge would massively push his physical and mental capabilities.

“This challenge came to mind whilst sitting on my sofa only a couple of months ago and Action Tutoring immediately came to mind as a charity I will do it for.”

Andreas

Run as many miles

His determination was to run as many miles as he could in 24 hours. After arming himself with all the essential snacks and smoothies to fuel him in his pursuit, Andreas was off.

He ran along the London Thames path and even took on the Southwark Parkrun around the 18th hour of his marathon.

Mentally tough

Andreas had ups and downs throughout the run, with the last two hours being the toughest mentally. However, he had incredible support all throughout the challenge, with friends and family lifting his spirits at the start of the run and some even doing parts of the run with him at different points.

“The final two hours on my own were mentally tough and I couldn’t manage more than 20 metres of jogging by the end. I had incredible support throughout as I did Southwark Park Run on Saturday morning with a big group of friends and family which really lifted my spirits.”

Andreas

Funds from ultramarathon fundraiser

By the end of the arduous run, Andreas had raised a total of £3000 for Action Tutoring. The amount can cover the purchase of 500 workbooks or train 48 more volunteer tutors to expand academic support to more children facing disadvantage.

“On the fundraising front, I used social media – Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, whatever it is to spread the word.“

Andreas

Andreas’ family and friends cheered him on at the end of the exhausting 102-mile run. After catching some breath, Andreas enjoyed a well-deserved Korean meal as a reward for the vigorous and inspiring fundraising effort.

Outside your comfort zone

Reflecting on the run and sharing lessons for others wishing to take on a walk, run, cycle, or hike for charity in the future, Andreas recommends setting realistic goals. However, he will challenge people to also go the extra mile to push themselves out of their comfort zone.

“If a goal doesn’t scare you a little it probably isn’t challenging enough! I’m a strong believer in growth coming from outside your comfort zone.”

Andreas

Taking on a fundraising challenge for charity can be very rewarding and fulfilling. If you are wondering how you can contribute to our work, find out more about getting involved with fundraising, volunteering, donations or advocacy to support young people facing disadvantage.