Rafina O’Brien, a dental hygienist from Yeovil, will be running an incredible 300km over three events during the summer of 2024 in support of Dentaid The Dental Charity.

She starts with the Jurassic Coast Ultra Marathon in May, followed by the Cotswold Challenge in June, before embarking on the Peak District Challenge less than a month later. Each event is 100km of running over varying, tough terrain and must be completed in less than 24 hours.

Rafina said, “I’ve run marathons before but never done anything like this. But I wanted to see what I could do.

“I run anyway and I love the Jurassic Coast so I signed up for that one but the Cotswolds and Peak District Challenges seemed exciting too, so I’m doing all three! There’s not much time between them, so staying fit is also a challenge, but I have an armed forces background and a training programme that includes lots of hills, so I’m hoping I’ll be OK.”

Dentaid’s fundraising events programme helps the charity deliver outreach dental clinics for vulnerable people in the UK and overseas.

In the UK, the charity has eight charity dental units that visit soup kitchens, hostels, shelters and community buildings with volunteers providing care for people experiencing homelessness, abuse, poverty and harm.

Rafina’s career has spanned the NHS, Royal Navy, and community dental services. She explained that her roles have long made her aware of Dentaid.

Rafina added, “I’ve been looking for ways to get involved and am also volunteering for the BrightBites oral health programme and on the charity dental unit in the UK.

“I’ve set myself a fundraising target of £500 for these events. The team at Colosseum Dental in Yeovil has been brilliant by dedicating themselves to organising fundraising events and offering unwavering support by cheering me on during races, even on their days off.

“It’s wonderful to know my colleagues and patients are rooting for me. It is a long way, but I’ll have my support crew and am looking forward to getting going.”

To support Rafina visit www.justgiving.com/page/rafina-obrien-1704450722410

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