Sitara Bartle on perseverance and fundraising – Guild of Friends Prize-Winner

Each year, Newnham’s Guild of Friends awards prizes to those students who have “made an extraordinary contribution outside of academic work.” The prize winners are nominated by anyone in the College (academic, staff or students). Normally, 5 prizes are awarded but in recognition of this extraordinary year, the Guild of Friends increased this to 7 prizes. One of the individual prizes went to recent graduate Sitara Bartle (NC 2017), in recognition of her charity work. This article tells the story of her fundraising journey in 2019.

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone” – Ronald Reagan

These words always remind me of the impact we can have on others’ lives. We do not have to give huge sacrifices but everything we do can bring more positivity into the world.

I’ve been a keen sportswoman all my life, competing in swimming, water polo, sailing and running. For me, sports are a challenge and a delight in themselves, and a way of bringing people together. As an undergraduate, I was keen to build up links between sportswomen in different disciplines, both current students and alumnae – though to my disappointment, Newnham’s inaugural ‘Sportswoman’s Dinner’ was one of the first events to be lost to Covid.

So it seemed natural to look for ways to use my sporting talents to raise funds and awareness for charity. The British Heart Foundation and its vision of “a world without heartbreak” means a great deal to me. They research treatments for heart and circulatory diseases, while raising awareness of heart health. Importantly for Newnham members, BHF are drawing attention to the ‘heart attack gender gap’, with women facing inequalities in heart attack care. (Read more about this here)

In my first year as an undergraduate, I took on my first major running challenge, raising money for BHF. I signed up for the ‘Flaming June Half Marathon’ – not expecting June to be quite as flaming as it was that day! In the baking heat, it was a test of determination and willpower to keep the legs moving and mind focused on the present task of moving forwards. When one of the marshals supplying much-needed water joked that we had only just reached halfway, it was a difficult thought to overcome. I told myself firmly to keep pressing onwards, and not to waste energy thinking about how far I had to go. And finally, yes, I reached the finish line!

This success pushed me on, and I applied successfully for a place to run for the British Heart Foundation in the 2019 London Marathon. I was training and fundraising throughout my second year at Newnham. The Heart Runners team gave great guidance, spurring me on through every training run. They reminded me that I wasn’t just running for myself, but to make a difference to people’s lives and the hearts of their loved ones.

I wasn’t only training during term, but awareness raising: a Christmas bake sale held with a friend brought together students, staff, and especially our lovely Porters. We fed them with our homemade cookies and talked about the importance of BHF’s work. Heart disease might not seem like something that students would be particularly concerned about, but BHF emphasises the importance of preventive factors, and raising awareness about heart disease.

Running continued throughout the coming months until I sustained a knee injury. With the marathon fast approaching, it seemed that my running ambitions would be ended. But with the support of an osteopath, I re-built my stamina through yoga and low-impact exercise. Early morning sessions in Newnham’s newly furnished gym let me work out before the day’s study. Thankfully, patience and perseverance allowed my knee to sufficiently recover.

Suddenly, race day arrived. I was delighted to complete the London Marathon in under 4 hours – and was absolutely amazed to discover that I had raised over £2000 in the process. Family, friends and Newnham members donated so generously to BHF, and I’m confident this will go towards alleviating some of the suffering experienced by families in the UK and beyond.

I feel incredibly honoured to have been awarded the 2020 Guild of Friends Award for my charity work and hope that this snapshot of my sporting and fundraising journey inspires others to challenge themselves!