Ara osteo student running NY marathon for heart charity
“Once a heart kid always a heart kid”
Ashley just completed the Mt Maunganui half marathon as part of her training.
Needing cardiac surgery at just 12 weeks old, Ara Institute of Canterbury osteopathy student Ashley Farrell became a Kiwi Heart Kid.
Spring forward a couple of decades and she’s juggling tertiary study with training for the New York marathon to raise funds for the charity that’s still close to her heart.
“I was born Ventricular Septal Defect or VSD and Mitral Regurgitation or MR, so I have the ‘zipper scar’ that many Heart Kids have in common,” Farrell said. “Every week 12 babies are born with a congenital heart defect in Aotearoa, so Heart Kids NZ is an essential charity, supporting over 10,000 members nationwide.”
“Fortunately, I’ve been in good health ever since with just a check-up every five years. But our family will never forget the incredible support we had from Heart Kids, and I’ve always wanted find ways to give back,” Farrell said.
Having notched up her first half-marathon with her running mate dad at Mt Maunganui last weekend, a full marathon in New York on 3 November is now firmly in the second-year student’s sights.
Ashley Farrell is juggling osteopathy study and training to reach her NY marathon goal
“This whole thing has come about through dad’s work with New Balance who sponsor the marathon. When he offered me the chance to do the trip with him, I grabbed it. It’s a once in a lifetime thing.”
The Farrell whānau are passionate track athletes. Ashley’s dad Shaun holds the New Zealand record for the 400 metres, and he passed on a love for sprints to his daughter.
Ashley believes staying fit on the track all her life has been good for her heart but said that five training sessions a week for a marathon was next level.
Ashley lacing up for a training run from Ara campus
“Balancing everything is hard. Study-wise I just try to make sure I’m on top of things. But I need time out and to stay connected with friends. I’m lucky my flatmates also want to stay fit and even bike along with me as I run so I can train and hang out at the same time!”
It also helps that she’s passionate about her osteopathy degree programme and that her tutors are right behind her.
“They’ve put up posters with my fundraising QR code on them in our clinic which is open to the public. It’s handy studying in this real-life environment too as I can book in to have any niggles looked at.”
“I love the hands-on nature of my study. You soon realise that there is no ‘normal’. Everyone is different and their bodies adapt to stresses differently. There’s no one size fits all.”
Farrell’s initial fundraising goal is $2600 which equates to about $100 for every marathon mile - but she hasn’t ruled out converting her goal to kilometres.
“I’ll try to push it to $4200 which is to equal a hundred per k,” she said, admitting the marathon mission doesn’t come without nerves. “I’m scared and excited. There are lot of emotions as it’s a big mental game. But I’ve got a lot of support, and it’ll be so worth it. I feel really fortunate.” she said.
Heart Kids NZ is a not-for-profit organisation that provides support services to the children, teens, young adults, adults and whānau living with a childhood heart condition. It’s the only national organisation in Aotearoa dedicated to supporting heart kids through life.
Every year over 600 major heart surgeries and procedures are performed on children or babies in New Zealand. Many will continue to face day-to-day challenges associated with their heart condition.
Fundraising page: Ashley Farell Fundraising Page
Heart Kids: Heart Kids New Zealand | Kids Charity