Wiltshire army veteran runs world marathon for charity

An army veteran is taking on seven marathons in seven days on seven continents for charity.

Sally Orange, from Salisbury in Wiltshire, is running through Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid and Fortaleza and Miami.

Ms Orange, who is an endurance runner, adventurer and campaigner, is raising funds for mental health charities.

Once completed, she will be the first female veteran and fifth British woman to finish the World Marathon Challenge.

Ms Orange has run over 70 marathons, completed eight full Ironman triathlons and has completed 22 years' service in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Physiotherapy Officer.

She started the race on 31 January and expects to complete the last marathon in Miami on Monday 6 February.

She said this will be her "biggest marathon challenge so far".

Team member and partner Andy Bartlett said her "beautiful mindset" will keep her going.

He said: "Her mantra is very much one foot in front of the other, and just keep repeating that.

"To complete something like this takes a supreme amount of logistics and planning."

Mr Bartlett said being flexible and preparing for the weather is "always quite key for running in that part of the world".

"It's very mentally challenging, there's obviously not much to see or distract you in the endless amounts of now and whiteness," he added.

But Ms Orange, who holds multiple Guinness world records and world firsts, is well prepared, Mr Bartlett said.

"Crazily, this isn't Sally's first marathon in Antarctica - it's her second," he added.

Ms Orange will be raising money for seven charities: The Duke of Edinburghs Award (DofE), The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA), Marathon Kids UK, Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), Ripple Suicide Prevention, Walking with the Wounded and Scotty's Little Soldiers.

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