County Champion: Payal Wandhare 

Meet our amazing County Champion: Payal from Sandyford! Payal will be representing Dublin at this year's Vhi Women's Mini Marathon! 💪🏃‍♀️🇮🇪 

Hey there! My name is Payal, and I originally come from India, but I’ve been living in Sandyford Dublin Ireland for about six years now.  
 

Throughout my childhood, I would often hear comments like "you're skinny" or "you‘re fat," thrown around at a family event towards women/girls and it wasn't until later that I realized how damaging these comments can be. As a result, For a long time, I believe that the number on the scale was the only measure of fitness. the lower the number, the fitter one was   

But I've come to realize that fitness is not just about a number on a scale. It's about being strong, both mentally and physically and making exercise a part of your lifestyle rather than a goal to achieve. I want to use this platform to spread awareness about this social conditioning that most women go through and help others break free from the toxic mindset towards weight. 

I want to give a shoutout to my friend Swati, who is a marathon runner and inspired me to take up running too. At first, it was intimidating, and I struggled to run even for 3 minutes continuously. But with each passing day, I pushed myself a little further and now I'm in love with the feeling of being able to run for longer distances. 

I'm grateful to have amazing people in my life who inspire me every day, especially women who support and encourage each other. Let's make exercise a lifestyle, not just a goal!    

We're so excited to have you on our team Payal! 💖 

#VhiWMM #ForMeForYou #vhiwomensminimarathon #Dublin #Ireland #10k #minimarathon #funrun #CountyChampion #womenwhosupporteachother #exerciseaslifestyle