Sarah Dooey will sprinkle some pixie dust on the Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon when she runs the iconic 13.1 mile course dressed as Tinker Bell in support of NSPCC Cymru.
The pharmacist turned primary school teacher will don the green dress and wings worn by the feisty Disney character to help the nation’s leading children’s charity fight for every childhood in Wales.
Sarah will be taking on her sixth Cardiff Half Marathon, but this one will be extra special when she joins hundreds of NSPCC runners in the shadow of Cardiff Castle on October 6th.
“I recently changed career from pharmacy to primary school teaching and now that I am in a profession working with children I felt the NSPCC would be the perfect charity to run a for as it is close to me,” she said.
“I recently changed careers from Pharmacy to Teaching and I wanted to do a half marathon for a charity that’s close to me. I did two placements as part of my PGCE earlier this year, one was in a socially deprived area of Cardiff with a lot of families on low incomes and many kids on free school meals. Working in this environment makes you aware that not all children grow up in fortunate environments.
“I look forward to wearing my green T-shirt on the day. And I have a green Tinkerbell costume I may wear over it! It is a kids charity after all, so might as well make it fun!”
NSPCC services support children and families throughout the country. They provide therapeutic services to help children move on from abuse, as well as supporting parents and families in caring for their children.
The event’s Lead Charity Partner also help professionals make the best decisions for children and young people, and support communities to help prevent abuse from happening in the first place. And since switching her career to work with our next generation, Sarah is determined to support the vital work the NSPCC undertake.
“Until being in that role of a teacher, I didn’t realise what a huge influence I am to these children,” she said. “I think the NSPCC makes a real difference to children. By doing it for Team NSPCC, I‘ll be helping to keep more children safe.
“Every penny I raise will help protect children, prevent abuse and transform society so it’s safer for all children. They are such an important organisation, and that’s why I want to support them.
“My fundraising is going well. Without doing much I have already raised £162. I’m also planning to raise money on the non-uniform days at my new school and perhaps raise money through a bake sale as well, I love baking.”
There is still time for runners to join the fight alongside Sarah and hundreds more NSPCC runners at this year’s Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon. And she is recruiting runners to help Tinker Bell fly through the 13.1 mile course next month.
“I’m also trying to find some more supporters in Cardiff who are doing the Half Marathon in October,” she added. “It would be great to run side by side for encouragement in completing the run and celebrating our success together at the end!”