Keeping the children of the Philippines in her mind, Kapamilya actress Anne Curtis-Smith made it on April 22 through the 42-kilometer London Marathon, one of the most prestigious runners’ events in the world.
“It was the toughest race I’ve ever had, and I almost gave up! But knowing that I was running for the Filipino youth and remembering all your messages of support inspired me to push through!” Curtis said on Simply Giving, an Asia-based fundraising website.
Considering it her greatest running feat, she posted details of her remarkable experience through her Instagram account, along with a one-minute video made by her husband Erwan Heussaff.
Based on things she revealed about the marathon, here are what allowed Curtis to reach the finish line:
1. Training, training, training
In one of her posts, the Filipino-Australian television host shared with her fans that she nearly gave up when she reached the 20-kilometer mark at 12:30 p.m.
She added that the route was easier than the New York Marathon event in 2016, but she also did not expect the “unusual London heat” that day.
After weeks of intense training which she also shared online, she was able to accomplished the race in five hours and 12 minutes.
“Mistakes and new learnings were made on this run but I’m just happy that I crossed that finish line,” she said in her post.
The London Marathon is among the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, long-distance running events in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City.
Curtis’ first world marathon major was in New York last 2016.
2. Find inspiration
Curtis has been the UN Children’s Fund celebrity advocate for children since 2015.
That same year, she launched the Heroes for Children Run, an annual running event that aims to raise funds for Filipino children in need.
Proceeds from the local marathon will go to UNICEF’s legislated “1,000 Days of Life campaign.”
In its website, UNICEF’s Country Representative Lotta Sylwander explained that the group and its partners were able to make the campaign possible with the help of the Senate.
“The ‘1,000 Days’ campaign will focus on much needed health and nutrition support in the critical first thousand days of the life of a child: from conception through pregnancy, to childbirth, and through to the child’s second year and beyond,” Sylwander said.
Through her five-hour world major run, she hopes to raise funds for UNICEF’S response to help the children affected by the 2017 Marawi crisis.
As of writing, she was able to raise P473,161.
Aside from Curtis, other celebrities supporting UNICEF’s causes are Bianca Gonzales, Gary Valenciano, and Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski.
Big win for Anne
Many people congratulated her online, including Filipino host Kim Atienza, popularly known as walking encyclopedia Kuya Kim.
Congratulations to my beautiful inaanak @annecurtissmith for finishing her 2nd world major marathon! Let’s all show her our love! #LondonMarathon2018 (photo by japs ramiscal) pic.twitter.com/3cKA17mMgO
— kim atienza (@kuyakim_atienza) April 22, 2018
Meanwhile, there are also those who wondered how beautiful Curtis could still look after the physically demanding run.
Leading an active lifestyle, Curtis and Heussaff often worked out or trained together, as seen in each other’s accounts, along with other celebrity friends like Heussaff’s sister and her husband.