Charlotte Baggaley is one of our fantastic L&D facilitators in England. She has earned a coveted charity place in the 2026 London Marathon, an achievement that arrived at exactly the right moment.
The London Marathon feels very special to Charlotte. After major surgery in 2009, she watched the race from her hospital bed, moved by the atmosphere. She said at the time she would love to do this one day and be a part of it!
For years, she’d said she wouldn’t run a marathon before 30… but definitely before 40. She felt like she had missed her chance to do it before her milestone and kept saying to herself she wished she’d gone for it sooner and missed the chance. But this last-minute decision made her determined to make this milestone run count. Even more meaningful, the marathon falls just six days before her 40th birthday.
Charlotte applied as a joke, never expecting to be selected on her first attempt. The news arrived during a period of personal challenge, and she felt like the timing was fate. “I’d actually stopped running at that point, but it felt like it happened for a reason.”
Charlotte is running for Newlife, a national charity providing essential equipment and services for disabled children. The cause deeply aligns with who she is both as a mum and as someone who has dedicated over 20 years to health and social care.
To keep her place, Charlotte needs to hit several fundraising targets, with a big post-Christmas push and getting bake sales planned! Her friends, family, and colleagues have already shown overwhelming support which has been an amazing motivator for her. When Charlotte took her family to Disneyworld Florida earlier this year her daughter gifted her a bracelet with a tiny running-shoe charm as motivation from the Disney running club. She even managed to get a cheeky morning run around the park squeezed in.
Charlotte’s training begins with a structured 16-week programme, focusing on strength, breathing, nutrition, and preparing for the 26.2-mile challenge! She says: “It’s all in the mind, you’re only in competition with yourself to finish it.”
Alongside her marathon journey, Charlotte will also hit her three-year work anniversary with Pebbles around the time of the race! She has dedicated nearly 21 years in health and social care. From midwifery training to adult care management, she says in the length of her career she’s never felt more fulfilled.
“I’ve met people from every walk of life. It’s never one-size-fits-all when it comes to training. You tailor everything to the person in front of you,” she explains. A recent email from a trainee thanking her for the impact she made reminded her why she loves her work: “It’s a team effort. You can’t buy the job satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve been a part of the team that made a young person’s life better.”
This April, many of us will be cheering Charlotte on as she takes on the London Marathon, please donate using the QR code or link if you can!
