A St Ives woman is taking on a Guinness World Record on Sunday (April 21) – by running the London Marathon with a 25kg fridge on her back.
Laura Bird will also be fundraising for Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity, which grants wishes for terminally or seriously ill children.
She has so far raised almost £12,800 for the cause through donations from well-wishers and local businesses sponsoring advertising space on the fridge.
Laura said: “I knew I wanted to do something different for this marathon.
“I did some research and a man entered the record books by running a marathon with a tumble drier on his back.
“A woman hasn’t made a similar attempt before, so I thought I’d give it a shot with a fridge.
“I thought a fridge would be the easiest appliance to secure on me and meets the criteria of being 25kg for the record attempt.”
- Recommended Reading: Therapy dog joins care home staff to help residents with dementia
- Recommended Reading: Huntingdonshire District Council allocates £350,000 for rural businesses
Sunday will be marathon number 22 for Laura, and the second time she has run the London marathon.
She completed the 26.2-mile course last year and was inspired to run for Rays of Sunshine after seeing their cheer points.
Laura told the charity she felt an instant connection because her grandfather was called Ray and his nickname was also Sunshine.
And she has been turning plenty of heads while out training around St Ives.
Laura laughed: “It has certainly been a talking point. A lot of people have asked if there’s beer in the fridge.”
Amy Chambers, Director of Fundraising and Communications for Rays of Sunshine, says: "Laura has raised a staggering amount of money, which we are all so grateful for.
“Every penny will help us grant more magical wishes for seriously ill children across the UK."
To sponsor Laura, visit her JustGiving Page titled “Like a fridge over troubled water”.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here