Andrea Rakich's Fundraising Page

"I made it to the finish line and with a smile on my face"

'Zooming' towards the finish!

At the peak of the Harbour bridge, which I ran all the way up!

Hi there,

Thanks for visiting my fundraising page. This year I set myself a goal to run the Auckland marathon. … Why? I really wanted to challenge myself both physically and mentally.

I had already done the thrill seeking challenges like skydiving, bungy jumping, etc, and thought why not go for the ultimate - the full marathon.
I just thought I should do this one before I got too old and the body started falling apart!!

I decided that if I am going to do this, I might as well raise some money along the way for a good cause, so I became a 'Heart Racer' to raise money for the Heart Foundation.

So, help me as I join the race to beat heart disease.

I've signed up as a Heart Racer to raise money to support the Heart Foundation. By donating through my webpage you will be helping the Heart Foundation continue its vital work in research, cardiac rehabilitation, education programmes and resources.

I'll do all the hard work (train for and complete the event), but I really need you to make a difference to the hearts of New Zealanders.

So, please could you sponsor me?

Select the "Make a donation" button below. It's simple, fast and totally secure and the money goes directly to the Heart Foundation's bank account.

So please help me today! And pass it on to your family and friends!

Many thanks for your support!

Regards,

Andrea Rakich

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"Update"…

I did it! I actually ran a marathon! I almost can't believe it! But I've got the photos and medal to prove it!

Wow, what an amazing experience! To be able to push your body to it's absolute limit and have your mind over-ride the pain and keep you going on sheer determination or 'will-power' is incredible! Everyone should try and experience this at least once in their lifetime! It makes you feel like you can achieve anything!

I can honestly say, that was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life! (Second only to childbirth!) But at the same time, truly awesome! And it doesn't even bother me that it took me twice as long as some people to finish! I'm just happy I crossed that line! That was the goal…to finish! So now I can tick that one off my 'Bucket list' and start thinking about my next challenge?!

I also have to say… it's soooo good to be on this side of the finish line. Although my body was in a huge amount of pain for a few days after the marathon… it was definitely worth it!

I also wanted to say a big THANKYOU again to all my Sponsors! I reached my goal of $500.00+ which was really great and I certainly thought about all you guys at around the 30k mark, for motivation. When the old body started saying that's enough, I just kept saying to myself "I can't let my sponsors down, I can do it!" It must have worked because I got to the finish line!

So thanks again and I really couldn't have done it without you!!!

Love, Andrea xx


Many thanks to those that made offline donations;

• $50.00 from Andrew Cole
• $20.00 from Melissa Rakich
• $20.00 from Andrea Rakich