Posted on: 25 August 2022
Ealing Partners, Gurdeep Lota recently completed her nineteenth marathon and now hopes her incredible achievement can inspire others to lace up their trainers and try running for themselves.
Gurdeep applied for a place at her first marathon back in 2010 – the Brighton Marathon to be specific. She was hooked immediately. Just eight days after crossing the finish line, she took on the London Marathon. And she didn’t stop there.
Gurdeep, who works for Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) as part of Ealing Community Partners (ECP), has since completed 19 marathons in locations all over the world. As well as London and Brighton, she’s run in New York, Berlin, Chicago, Paris, Athens, Mumbai, Richmond, Edinburgh, Newport, Dublin, Manchester and Yorkshire marathons.
When she isn’t running marathons, Gurdeep helps look after people’s feet as a Podiatry Booking Administrator. Her team in the ECP help people deal with a range of mobility issues, relieve pain and treat infections of the feet and lower legs.
Gurdeep’s most recent conquest was the Stockholm Marathon on 4 June 2022.
“The Stockholm Marathon has a couple of great things,” she said. “First is the awesome finish. The race ends in the stadium originally built for the 1912 Olympics.
“Another thing is that the city of Stockholm is so beautiful – I mean, really nice! I had a chance to wander around the day before and after the race and loved so many things about that city.”
The medal Gurdeep received for completing the Stockholm Marathon reads ‘Impossible is nothing’, and she hopes that this message can be the catalyst that encourages people to try running for themselves.
“If I can do it, anyone can,” she said.
If you are inspired by Gurdeep’s story you can take that first step towards a marathon by completing the NHS’s Couch to 5K programme, which helps beginners gradually build up to running 5K in just nine weeks.
Due to the fact she takes part in so many races, Gurdeep no longer runs for charity, though she has raised money for arthritis in the past because her mother suffers from the condition. She’s also supported Diabetes Care in honour of her late father.
“Diabetes Care is a charity very closed to my heart as diabetes runs in my family,” Gurdeep said. “It affects so many of my loved ones and may even impact me or other people I know in the future.
“I ran the New York marathon in the loving memory of my father. He lived in a place where the technology was not advanced enough to help him with his diabetes. Nevertheless, despite limited medical help, he lived bravely with his condition. He’ll always be an inspiration to me.
“I know that my father would be proud to know that I ran for him and also to help others who suffer from this disease.
Click here to read more about the benefits of exercise in general.
Ealing Community Partners is made up of CNWL, West London NHS Trust, Ealing Council and voluntary organisations working together to deliver community health and care.