One of our Manchester BMFers has finished 6th female in a gruelling charity trail run across the Himalayan mountains. Rachel Gorajala, 42, tackled 100 miles in altitudes of up to 25,000 metres and tough terrain over six days in the Everest Trail Race, and was one of just 37 runners chosen for the race which took place earlier this month. The mum of two, who is a keen trail and marathon runner, credits her unbelievable stamina to weekly training sessions with British Military Fitness and says she couldn’t have done the race without us. It looks like you did the hardest part yourself though, Rachel - very well done!
Rachel, who has one son and one daughter and has already participated in an incredible 25 marathons over the past decade, describes her experience on Everest as being one of her proudest achievements to date. In preparation for the challenge, Rachel trained with British Military Fitness at Bruntwood Park in South Manchester, attributing her success to our military style workouts.
Rachel commented: “It was an amazing, incredible experience that I am so proud to have been a part of. Not only was the race for a good cause, with all donations supporting local Nepalese hospitals, schools and villages, it was a real personal success. There were only 37 people running and just nine from the UK, so being 6th female overall was such an overwhelming feeling. At times it was tough, mentally and physically. Running 100 miles over six days in high altitudes where it can be hard to breathe is quite a scary sensation, but I was prepared for the challenge, despite feeling extremely nervous beforehand.”
“The views on the route were absolutely breathtaking and the feeling once I had reached the top was pure exhilaration. It’s these special, once in a lifetime moments that keep my love for trail running alight. I can’t wait for what the future has in store. Bring on the next run!
Rachel continued: “Training with BMF at Bruntwood Park definitely helped me to prepare; it’s an essential part of my training. Trail running is my absolute passion and working with BMF has definitely improved my stamina and strength. I train as often as I can, fitting in a session after dropping my children off at school and in between work. Taz Apergis, the BMF Park Manager, pushes me to build up core strength and keeps me motivated during sessions - he’s an absolute star. In fact the whole group are so lovely and supportive, it feels like being amongst friends!”
