As the sun came out in London last weekend, so did four dedicated Camp Simcha runners who took on the annual scenic London Landmarks Half Marathon raising funds for the charity’s vital work supporting seriously ill Jewish children and their families.
The team of four – Adam Reznik, Esti Elijah and Libby Seitler from London and Mel Fernandez from Prestwich, Manchester, took to the streets of Westminster and central London to join over 20,000 other runners, taking in over 16 iconic landmarks including the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London before crossing the finish line under Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square.
Running in her first ever half marathon, Camp Simcha parent Mel Fernandez who is mum to Otto, who is 4 and has Alagille Syndrome, a very rare condition which causes liver disease and affect his heart explains why she took on the challenge and how she felt following it.
“I’m actually good, sore feet but feeling okay – much better than I expected to! The run was amazing. Such an incredible atmosphere and I was so pleased to be able finish and achieve my goal.
“I was so, so happy to be running for Camp Simcha who’ve given us so much support and being there for us when we have needed them. Helping our older two children cope with Otto’s condition and his multiple hospital appointments. It was incredible, thank you Camp Simcha for letting me run for you!”
Sixteen-year-old Adam Reznik who completed the 13.1-mile route in an impressive 1:37:30; clocking an almost identical time to Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes ran for Camp Simcha as he wanted to help support families in the community in need.
“Every step hurt, but every mile was fuelled by purpose. I wasn’t just running – I was raising hope for Camp Simcha.”
From time to time, we may contact you by email, phone and post to keep you updated on our work and ways you can support us. You can change the way you hear from us at any time by emailing us at office@campsimcha.org.uk or calling us on 020 8202 9297. To help us to work more efficiently, we may analyse your information to make sure you receive the most relevant communications. This may include using publicly available information. You can ask us to stop this at any time, by contacting us using the above details. You can read more about how we use your information in our privacy policy.
