2020 Pride of Britain nominee, Sarah Powala is set to put on her running shoes on May 1st as once again she sets about running “10k a day in May” (10KADIM) to raise much needed funds for Wakefield Hospice. Sarah, who is known in the West Yorkshire city as ‘The Tattooed Runner’, is undertaking the challenge for a sixth consecutive year and is hoping to take the total she’s raised pounding the roads of Wakefield to over £50,000. “My mum spent her final days at Wakefield Hospice in 2015, and the level of care and compassion she and we as a family received was truly amazing,” said Sarah. “I wasn’t much of a runner back then but the hospice’s annual 10k race took place while she was a patient and I felt it would be a nice gesture to take part and try and raise some money.” “Mum was really proud of my effort in that first 10k race, so when she passed away on April 29th, I decided to turn my grief into something positive and came up with the idea of a ‘10k a day in May’ challenge. It was certainly easier said than done - that first year was absolute agony – but every year since it’s become a little easier; made even more so by the fact more and more people have joined me in the challenge.” In 2019 Sarah’s ‘10k a day in May’ challenge featured 75 runners and to date it’s helped to raise over £40,000 for Wakefield Hospice. In 2021, as well as a team of runners, Sarah will be joined by the hospice’s Director of Income Generation, Helen Knowles who will be getting on her bike every day in May to match Sarah’s 10k. “I’ve always been tempted to join Sarah’s challenge but I’m definitely not a runner anymore, those days are firmly over,” said Helen. “Sarah was thrilled that I was joining the Green army, although how I’ll feel when I have sore legs on a wet Wednesday in mid-May will be interesting!” To find out more about Sarah’s challenge, and to get involved or donate visit https://wakefieldhospice.enthuse.com/cf/10k-a-day-in-may-85c67 SHIRLEY’S DAY To show its gratitude to Sarah’s fundraising efforts over the last five years, Wakefield Hospice has announced that October 13th – Sarah’s mum’s birthday – will now be known as Shirley’s Day and that everyone who participates in the ‘10k a day in May’ challenge will be given the opportunity to run a special 10k to raise even more money in Shirley’s memory. “Sarah’s efforts over the years have been inspirational and have kept Shirley’s memory alive for so many of us,” added Helen. “Shirley’s Day will ensure this carries on for years to come, meaning a long-lasting legacy for her mum that I’m sure Sarah would never have dreamt of when she ran her first 10k a day in May 2015.”