2022 Charity Challenges

Anna Langridge from 1FitLife highlights how charity fitness events can help motivate and enable you to achieve your fitness goals.

Taking part in a challenge for charity means you can support a cause that is close to your heart. Your connection to the charity could be for various reasons because a family member or friend has been affected by a disease or illness or maybe it’s a charity that you admire and they are short on funding so you can then raise money for them and know that you’re doing your bit to help.

Anyone can take part in charity fitness events. Once you’ve declared on your social pages that you’ve signed up it’s very hard to pull out and that work wonders when it comes to improving your motivation! Fundraising is also so much easier by using a ‘Just Giving’ page which means that there’s no painful post-event money collecting from friends, colleagues and family as they donate upfront. Being involved in these kinds of events can also dramatically improve an individual’s attitude towards exercise long term. This is usually due to the time taken to train, the feeling of adrenalin during the event and a sense of achievement and pride on the completion. Mass participation events are positive, friendly environments and they inspire participants to keep up fitness commitments long after the event has passed.

Charity events also tend to be perfect for more inexperienced participants, as mass participation events are much more inclusive rather than competitive. They encourage individuals to celebrate the achievement of taking part rather than the completion time itself. If you’re looking to take your first steps into fitness, these kinds of events are the ideal motivator.

It doesn’t matter if you want to walk, swim, run, dance, cycle or jump as there is a challenge out there for everyone!

Charity challenges are always so much more fun when you bring a friend or group of people together on the journey with you. It may be work colleagues, family members or friends, but these people will help motivate you and keep you going on the days when you just don’t feel like carrying on.

So which charity challenge do I choose? There are so many different options out there and it’s important to select something achievable and fun if you’re starting your fitness journey. You may choose to do a month-long challenge rather than an event, e.g. walk 5k every day for a month, run 1 mile every day, or do 100 jumps a day with a skipping rope. Alternatively, choose a community event like Bournemouth Beach glow Up walk or the Dash in the Dark 5k in Southampton for the Air Ambulance. If you’d like to try lots of different activities look into The WAVE Festival on 23rd July which is held to raise funds for the young people of Hayling Island with lots of different sporting events and music on site.

Alternatively, choose a community event like Bournemouth Beach glow Up walk or the Dash in the Dark 5k in Southampton for the Air Ambulance. If you’d like to try lots of different activities look into The WAVE Festival on 23rd July which is held to raise funds for the young people of Hayling Island with lots of different sporting events and music on site.

For those who already have a base fitness, the possibilities are endless and it comes down to what fitness disciplines you enjoy the most.

Below are a few examples for inspiration during the rest of 2022:

• Children’s Air Ambulance Southwest Skydive, Devon – 12 June – 1 October.
• BHF Pier to Pier Swim – 9th July.
• Communifit Colour Run – 10th July Sherborne
• The Wave Festival, Havant – 23rd July.
• Bournemouth Beach glow Up walk – 13th August
• Communifit Sprint Triathlon – 14th August Sherborne
• Dorset Plane Pull – 29th August
• MacMillan Mighty Hike – 10th September, Lodmoor Country Park, Weymouth. Full or half marathon
• Communifit Sportive Cycle Ride – 11th September Starting at The Story Pig, Dorset.
• New Forest Marathon Event – 11th September
• Dash in the Dark, Southampton – 24th September.
• The Inflatable 5k Somerley House, Ringwood – 24th September
• Bournemouth Marathon Festival – 8th-9th October
• Great South run – 16th October. Portsmouth
• Garmin UK Trail Running Festival – 16th October
• Communist December Christmas Sweater 5k and 10k 2022 – 20th December

If you’re feeling even more ambitious, then research other events around the country and abroad. The possibilities are endless and it’s a great way to make special memories. So sign up, set your goals and raise funds for those in need all at the same time!