Sportch user spotlight #1 – Chris Slater

We want to start showcasing some of the amazing things people from our community are doing so here is the first ‘player spotlight’.

Meet Chris Slater, a 30-year-old Sportch player who, whilst playing at Writtle Tennis Club, found a new passion for running during lockdown. Chris is an avid sports fan who has played sports throughout his life, but the lockdown took its toll on his mental health and he started to use running as an escape. During the lockdown alone, Chris ran 10 marathons! … but that wasn’t enough for Chris.

Chris decided to take it to another level and set himself an ambitious challenge in 2022: running 52 marathons in 52 weeks, one marathon a week for an entire year! Despite facing obstacles such as injuries and missed weeks, Chris pushed through and even ran three marathons in one week three times to make up for the lost time.

His marathon effort caught the attention of the media, and Chris received coverage from the BBC and Heart Radio. Chris used his newfound platform to fundraise for Get Kids Going! They are a national charity which gives disabled children and young people, up to the age of 26 years, the wonderful opportunity of participating in sport. As of now he has raised over £6.5K!!

“Every time I ran I broke – it just varied to what extent. I’m not bulletproof. But when my head gave in, then my body, I didn’t back down. I didn’t stop. I just tried to keep going. It’s all mentality.”

“I’m grateful that I’ve been able to do this and somehow come out the other side stronger. My body. My mind. My motivation. It probably won’t sink in for a while.”

I’m sure you will agree Chris is a massive inspiration. If you would like to read more about his journey you can visit his profile: @chrisslaterrr

… and if you would like to donate please follow this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-slater-1992