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Bahraini Noor Al Tareif has been bitten by the running bug and is putting all her energy to good use as she takes on a 10km run in London in support of two charities she holds dear to her heart.
The 21-year-old undergraduate student who is currently studying law in her final year at SOAS, University of London, will be participating in the Clapham Common 2013 Series in the English capital on Sunday to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis (MS) and autism.
Noor, from Sanabis, said: “This race will be a great measure of how much better my fitness level has become – there was a time when I couldn’t jog for more than a couple of minutes!”
Short sessions of interval training twice a week as well as steady longer runs and other forms of cardio, such as biking and using an elliptical trainer three-times-a-week, has transformed her.
She said: “This year I’m hoping to raise money for the MS Society and the National Autistic Society. My goal is to raise £600 (BD367).”
Noor has a special connection to both charities. Last year, her mother Mary Lynch, a professor and cardiologist in the BDF Hospital, was diagnosed with MS, a disease affecting nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing problems with muscle movement, balance and vision. She said: “I also have a teenage cousin living in Ireland who suffers from autism. The charity provides information and campaigns for a better world for people with the condition.”
Autism is a disorder characterised by impaired social interaction and communication.
Although this will be Noor’s first time running 10km, she is no stranger to kicking up her heels in support of a worthwhile cause. Last year she ran a 5km race and collected more than £600 for a breast cancer care charity alongside the MS Society.
Noor is also setting a new goal for herself and that is to be able to compete in a half marathon by this time next year. She added: “Anyone can achieve anything that they set their mind to. Around 18 months ago if you had said I’d be jogging for over two minutes I would have laughed. I didn’t think this change was possible in such a short time but if I can do it, anyone can!”
Readers can make a donation by visiting www.justgiving.com/teams/noor-al-tareif
