I grew up playing football (thanks to an older brother and endlessly supportive parents) and the older I got the more central the sport became to who I was and what I did. I made my way up to the German U20 National Team and then got recruited to play Division I "soccer" in the United States. After completing my bachelor's degree across the pond I came to the UK to study in an MA program. Having finished my football career (for the time being) I am now allowed to do long distance running. This past summer, I started running up to 10 kilometers at a time and realized that I did enjoy running. When I tried a 17k race, however, my pacing was so poor that I was quite miserable throughout the race and barely made it to the finish line. Running a half marathon is therefore a special challenge for me.
Running for the Bath Rugby Foundation does not only inspire me to train hard and run as fast as I can, but also to approach the race with the right attitude of gratefulness for being here, and to be able to give back to the community that has welcomed me so readily. Sports has made me who I am and has been led me to where I am. My coaches and teammates have mentored, inspired and challenged me and showed me the power of team sports. From this experience I firmly believe in the positive impact that sports can have on a person's life. The fact that the Bath Rugby Foundation is making that happen for young kids, and that I get to make a small contribution to this mission is an honour and a pleasure.
Please help me to help creating opportunities for kids through sports! Marie Becker