TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher has opened up exclusively to HELLO! about her latest challenge – running the London Marathon. “I feel fitter and healthier now than I’ve ever been,” the 43-year-old mum of two told HELLO! during an exclusive photoshoot. Kirsty will proudly fly the flag for HELLO! when she tackles the gruelling 26.2-mile run through the capital on 28 April to raise money for SafeHands For Mothers. The a charity harnesses the power of film-making to empower and educate women and girls living in disadvantaged communities and that has a close relationship with the magazine.
Having taken part in Strictly Come Dancing, Kirsty’s known for pushing herself to the limit. But taking on the London Marathon is her biggest sporting trial to date. “I’ve always wanted to do the Marathon – it’s a big personal challenge for me,” she said. “The balance in my life is right, I feel very energised.” Long-distance running is far out of her comfort zone, but she’s having fun. “I’m loving every minute of training,” she said. “But it’s tough.” Her regime includes increasingly longer runs on top of her regular gym sessions with personal trainer Mel Deane. “He makes it such fun,” she says, with a smile.
But her biggest motivation is the thought of making her children Oscar, 12, and nine-year-old Jude proud. The two youngsters will be cheering their mum on from the sidelines on the big day. What will also keep Kirsty going is the work done by SafeHands For Mothers, which creates positive change for women, men and young people around the world.
READ: KIRSTY'S MARATHON TRAINING
It’s so important to me that I do SafeHands For Mothers justice and raise awareness for their fabulous cause,” she says. “I’ll be thinking of all the women I’ll be helping while I run. The Marathon is nothing compared to what they cope with. “Every two minutes, a woman somewhere in the world dies needlessly in pregnancy and childbirth,” she ****added. “That’s unfathomable for me.”
She is also proud to be representing HELLO!. “I love Hello!,” she says. “It’s such a positive magazine and we’ve got a lovely relationship.” Running the marathon comes at a time of great change in Kirsty’s life after leaving her 20-year presenting role at Sky Sports. “I had a great time there but I felt it was the right time for me to go and do other things,” she says. “My work-life balance was hard, I was working long hours and I missed a lot of the kids’ activities.”
Read the full feature in this week's Hello Magazine. Hello!’s editor in chief Rosie Nixon is proud to be an ambassador for SafeHands For Mothers and we would greatly appreciate your support to help Kirsty reach her £20,000 target. To donate, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ Kirsty_Gallacher
