Sixteen-year-old Freddie Griffin ran a full marathon to raise awareness for a life-saving water filter made by his team, Ascend.
Junior Achievement helps young people succeed by helping them gain job skills and business knowledge. It’s a global youth charity that has worked on the Isle of Man for forty years. Young people get workshops there, with different school levels receiving support.
Ascend designed a product for this year’s program, a ‘Downpipe Water Filter’. The product must help communities globally, and their filter is cheap and purifies bad water. This can save lives where water is scarce.
The team wanted a creative way to promote it, and they thought about a marathon challenge. Sixteen-year-old Freddie Griffin volunteered to complete the long race. Some people doubted his ability, but Freddie felt determined to succeed.
Freddie planned carefully and arrived at the start line on March 1st, readying himself for the run. He set off from Ramsey for his 26.2-mile journey, the longest run of his life. The weather made for great running.
He used his half-marathon experience and took tips from Christian Varley, who ran 19 marathons in 19 days. Friends, family, and his Ascend teammates, along with students from St Ninian’s High, cheered him along the way.
Freddie liked running from Kirk Michael to Peel along the coast. He said the view made it easier, having passed 21 km. The final leg was very difficult, despite the support.
He fought cramps and foot blisters, but Freddie kept going with effort. He stopped at St Ninian’s, which gave him a morale boost. Then he crossed the finish line at the Sea Terminal in Douglas, where celebrations awaited.
Freddie felt very proud to have crossed the finish line. Running another marathon felt unappealing then, though he might do one later. The idea became Freddie’s personal challenge.
He went beyond his comfort zone and shared the team’s important mission. Junior Achievement Isle of Man is part of a bigger group: Junior Achievement Worldwide, a very large non-government organization.