Latest News & Blog

Latest News

Blog

Latest News

Sally runs in Ethiopia

Great Ethiopian RunThe Action Aid Ethiopian 10k run, held just before Christmas, was a huge success, attracting 36,000 runners to the streets of the capital, Addis Ababa. Among them was Olympic Gold medallist Sally Gunnell OBE, who was there to raise awareness of Action Aid's ground-breaking work in this hard pressed country. "This was the race of a lifetime," said Sally, "but not because I broke any records. In fact, it's the slowest 10k I've ever done! What made it so special was the sea of red t-shirts, the bands that we danced to along the route and the unexpected entrants who took part." One of these unregistered runners was a donkey that ran with Sally for some time. "I'm not sure what the authorities in the UK would make of it, but I loved being paced by the donkey; maybe I would have been quicker if I'd jumped on his back!"

Gunnell also visited some of Action Aid's rural support projects that provide medical and educational support to rural peasant communities. "When you see how little these people have, it puts things in to perspective. Action Aid are doing brilliant work, helping people to help themselves."



off the blocks

"I remember thinking, 'This is your life. This is it. The buck stops with you'..." Sally Gunnell. Start line. Barcelona 1992