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Good sports issue lockdown challenge to aid NHS appeal


By Lorna Thompson

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A MORAY team of wellbeing professionals are urging locals to get moving for a lockdown challenge to raise money for the NHS COVID-19 appeal.

The four friends have thrown their energy behind the Lockdown Movement Marathon – to take place on Sunday, April 26, on what was the London Marathon date – to support the NHS and those hit by coronavirus.

The motivators include local GP Liam Richardson (34), from Kinloss; Elaine Macdonald (42), from Kinloss, a social worker in a learning disabilities team; Kinloss osteopath Bryony Richardson (34), who runs Thrive Osteopathic in Findhorn; and Chelle Parker (42), from Findhorn, founder of The Vibe Movement which offers alternative yoga, pilates and wellbeing experiences.

The good sports are inviting the people of Moray and beyond to join them, moving in whatever form they please – whether that be running, dancing, cycling, cartwheeling, walking, yoga, skipping – and do it for as long as they can manage.

Bryony said: "We encourage participation from all ages and walks of life, with a focus on choosing something you enjoy that is suitable and safe for your fitness levels.

"We are throwing this out to the nation as we want to bring people together in a way that's really inclusive, inspiring and motivating.

"As well as lifting morale and encouraging people to keep moving, hopefully we’ll be raising some much-needed cash for NHS COVID-19 urgent appeal."

Kinloss GP Liam Richardson.
Kinloss GP Liam Richardson.
Osteopath Bryony Richardson doing yoga at home in Kinloss.
Osteopath Bryony Richardson doing yoga at home in Kinloss.
Yoga teacher Chelle Parker, at home in Findhorn.
Yoga teacher Chelle Parker, at home in Findhorn.

Inspired by French balcony runner Elisha Mochomovitz and his balcony marathon, Liam and Elaine will be running the marathon miles in their gardens. Liam, who cycles 25 miles a day to and from work and was in training for the now cancelled west coast Celtman triathlon, plans to run around his trampoline.

Elaine had also been intensively training, for an ultra marathon.

Bryony and Chelle will take on a challenge enough for any yogi – the 108 Sun Salutation Challenge, Surya Namaskar, a physically demanding continuous vinyasa yoga flow.

Bryony practices yoga and meditation and encourages her clients to find a way to regularly move in whatever way they can.

She said: "I see this event as a way to motivate people stuck at home to move daily, and keep their mental and physical health strong during these challenging times."

Chelle also practices yoga daily but has never attempted the 108 Sun Salutation Challenge. She said: "There seems to be a real synergy between the ethos of The Vibe Movement and what we hope to share with the nation through the Lockdown Movement Marathon.

"There are lots of ideas on the meaning of the sacred 108. As well as appearing in many of the ancient texts, in numerology 108 equals nine, which symbolizes universal love, eternity and awakening, all feeling particularly meaningful right now."

For more information and to see the event live stream on the day, go to www.thevibemovement.co.uk/lockdown-marathon.

To sponsor the team visit their Virgin Money Giving page at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/LockdownMovementMarathon.

Follow the challenge on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thevibemovementmoray or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/thevibemovementmoray.

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