7 Marathons in 7 Days for OS Imogen Boddy

Old Sedberghian, Imogen Boddy (R, 15-17), will be taking on a monumental challenge, both physically and mentally, as she is preparing to complete 7 marathons in 7 days to help raise money for Mind.

Throughout her time at Sedbergh School, Imogen was renowned for her athletic ability and her physical and mental endurance. As well as being named ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ for two consecutive years, Imogen left her mark on the School through the now legendary endurance challenge which is named after her – The Boddy Challenge. An endurance event, it consists of a 10km swim in Lake Windermere, running the Windermere marathon course and then cycling the 25 miles back to Sedbergh from Windermere. In completing the event whilst at School, Imogen helped raise over £8000 for charity and since its inception in 2017, the now annual event sees a selective group of Year 13 girls take on the challenge and raise money for their chosen charities.

Since leaving Sedbergh School in 2017, Imogen has gone on to become a qualified personal trainer and is now based in London. Like many others across the UK, Imogen found herself being furloughed due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and with gyms closed during the UK lockdown, she wanted to find new methods of training for her and her clients.

“Since the Boddy Challenge, I’d always talked about doing another challenge for a while. As soon as the latest lockdown was announced, that’s when I made my decision” explained Imogen.

Having completed the London Marathon in 2019, Imogen decided that completing one marathon was not enough, so instead opted to attempt seven marathons in seven days. This extraordinary effort will begin on Sunday 25 April 2021 and take place through the streets and parks of London, with the aim to raise money and awareness for a charity close to Imogen’s heart.

“Mind is a personal charity to me and the last year has been a real test for everybody’s mental health. In the past, I have had an unhealthy relationship with food, and I know my mental health has suffered because of that. I want to raise awareness about the brilliant work Mind is doing because it is so important, now more than ever.” Imogen said.

Imogen has paid tribute to Sedbergh School saying, “Sedbergh definitely had a huge impact on my love of fitness. It was just so different to any other School. When I moved to Sedbergh, my whole mindset changed, and I want to help inspire the next generation of young sportswomen.”

You can support Imogen by visiting her donation page https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ImoBoddy1 and keep up to date with all of her progress via Instagram @imoboddy_fitness