54 Marathons, 28 Charities, 8 World Records, 1 Athlete | Sally Orange

Tell us quickly about Sally Orange the person

I think I’m a fun (both fruity and colourful of course!), adventurous and caring person that tries to do my best in everything I do in my life. I’ve had many ups and downs like we all have, but I continue to learn more about the world every day. I enjoy most sports and have a real passion for endurance events and global travel. I’m extremely proud to represent several charities and also honoured to be the first female national ambassador for the Army Cadet Force.

How did you get into running?

To be very honest, although I really enjoyed running at school, I didn’t start taking it seriously until I was in my mid 30’s. I always had a dream of running in the London marathon after watching the first one as a little girl, but just didn’t have the confidence to apply. I also found it quite daunting too, the thought of running with tens of thousands of people and also the pressure of having to raise lots of money often made be doubt myself. I eventually plucked up the courage to take on the challenge and decided to run dressed as a superhero to have a bit of fun and hoped it would raise awareness for the Outward Bound Trust and to my surprise, I was awarded the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed as a superhero (Super Girl). This was where my running adventures started, and the rest as they say was history…

Why the fruit and veg angle?

As you know my name surname is ‘Orange’ although sometimes I’m sure people think I’m joking when I tell them! When I was younger, other children used to pick on me and call me names like ‘squash’, ‘juicy’ and would often laugh when my name was called out in assemblies when I was a child at school. As a grew older, I realised that my surname was in fact very different but saw it could be used as a positive to encourage people to eat healthy, be active and take care of their mental health. I actually decided to embrace the fruity surname and started running all my marathons dressed as different pieces of fruit. As it’s so much fun, I’ve now decided to move into the vegetable world as well!

What about the nuts?

Mental health is something that I’ve struggled with in recent years, having been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and also medically discharged from the British Army, I wanted to try and help some of the charities and organisations that have helped me over the years. I decided that I would run the London Marathon last year dressed as a peanut with a sign on me saying ‘Nuts About Mental Health: Together We Will Crack It’, as I very much believe in breaking down the stigma associated with mental health illnesses.  Unbelievably I was again awarded a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed as a nut!

That’s 54 marathons now.  What’s your target?  When will you stop?

It’s a great question and if I’m honest I don’t know! I don’t run to be the fastest or the fittest, I run because I enjoy it and I like making others laugh. People often ask me ‘what time are you going for?’ and I tell them with a smile, ‘just the time of my life’! As long as I’m fit and healthy enough, I will keep on running I guess…

What’s the most fun marathon you’ve ever run?

All my marathons have been incredibly fun whether it’s been the people I’ve met, the places I’ve visited or the costumes I’ve worn. It seems the wackier the fancy dress outfit the more smiles you get and there have been plenty of them over the years. I think if I had to pick just one (which is super difficult) I would say running as a big apple in the big apple (New York City) has to be right up there as one of my favourites. The response from the American people was amazing and they really appreciated my efforts too.

What’s the weirdest / most creative marathon you’re ever run?

The weirdest one has to be when I competed in the ‘Willy Waddle’ dressed as huge inflatable penis alongside 50 other people too all dressed in the the same costume. It was great fun and was all about raising awareness for testicular and penile cancer. My friends and I did get some strange looks from passers by but as always, after the initial shock there were plenty of laughs and smiles, we giggled all the way round!

What was the worst?

During the current coronavirus global pandemic I have had to get creative with my runs which have including running a full marathon on the street of the house I was staying at (ironically called ‘Why Not Lane’), and another around the exterior of the house and garden – both dressed as a slice of orange of course!! Every marathon is physically challenging, but the latter run was also really psychologically challenging and took me a very long time. I felt dizzy and physically sick from going around in circles for a whole day and into the night and it was something that I can safely say I wont be doing anytime soon again!

What’s the best part of what you do?

I’m very fortune to be able to travel the world on incredible adventures and also blessed to have met so many inspirational people on that journey too. My favourite part of what I do is using my experiences to try and inspire the next generation which is why I love my role as the national ambassador for Army Cadets. I’m also privileged to be invited into schools, youth organisations and charities to talk to others and share the lessons I have learnt with them and this is something I would like to do a lot more of in the years ahead.

Why is important to support all the military charities you have?

I think it’s always important to support charities where you can and help those that need help, especially heroes who have served our great nation, there are very few more deserving causes than this. As a military veteran that served in the Army for more than 20 years, by raising awareness and funds for military charities it allows me to continue to show my respect for our forces and also make a difference where possible. I am very proud to have served our country and I get a real sense of purpose from helping others that have served and continue to serve.

Tell us about role as Army Cadets UK ambassador? 

The Army Cadets is an incredible family and to be asked to be their first female ambassador is truly a huge honour and that comes with a lot of responsibility too, which I try to embrace to the best of my ability. For action and adventure, fun and friendship, the Army Cadet Force is hard to beat. With nearly 39,000 cadets (aged 12-18) and 9,000 adults in over 1,600 locations in every corner of the United Kingdom, the ACF is one of the country’s largest voluntary youth organisations in the world. My role is to help inspire, educate and support both cadets and volunteers who are the heart and soul of this amazing family.

What’s next for Sally Orange?

At the moment, just like everyone else, I am trying to stay productive and healthy in these extremely challenging and uncertain times. I’m really not used to staying at home for weeks on end and I will be heading back to the NHS to work as a physiotherapist in the coming weeks to try and help the incredible people who are doing their very best to keep us safe. I’m certain that in a few months from now we will all be in a better place together and we will be stronger as a nation for it too. Until then we have to keep the faith, enjoy the time we have with our loved ones and try to stay positive until we can start looking for our next adventure once again.

www.sallyorange.com

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#betterneverstops