Worksop woman raises money for defibrillator to thank gym for amazing fitness transformation

A fitness enthusiast is raising money for a Worksop gym to have its own defibrillator as she celebrates a 30kg weight loss.
By Kirsty Hamilton
Published 12th Oct 2021, 13:14 BST
Updated 12th Oct 2021, 13:33 BST
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Sarah Illingworth has taken part in a fitness challenge with Lync Active Gym in Worksop to raise £750 for a defibrillator.

The 36-year-old has so far raised £370.

Over around 10 weeks of training, Sarah has been preparing for her challenge which saw her run the Manchester Half Marathon on Sunday, October 10, followed by 30 reps of 30 exercises the very next day.

Part of the challenge included a total of 900 reps of different exercises while wearing a weighted vest.Part of the challenge included a total of 900 reps of different exercises while wearing a weighted vest.
Part of the challenge included a total of 900 reps of different exercises while wearing a weighted vest.
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She managed to take 13 minutes off from her previous half marathon record, finishing in two hours 28 minutes.

Just 24 hours later, she completed the 900 rep challenge whilst wearing a 30kg weighted vest - the amount of weight she has lost while training at the gym.

Sarah said: “This was to celebrate the weight loss and the achievements I've had with Lync Active, and just to really challenge my body and put myself through it.

Sarah ran the Manchester Half Marathon with her partner, Sarah, and took 13 minutes off her previous personal best.Sarah ran the Manchester Half Marathon with her partner, Sarah, and took 13 minutes off her previous personal best.
Sarah ran the Manchester Half Marathon with her partner, Sarah, and took 13 minutes off her previous personal best.

“I just want to give the gym something back because they've been there a lot for me, and they've been really supportive.

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“I think after what happened to Christian Eriksen in the Euros, a defibrillator is just an important thing to have around.

“You never know who it's going to affect and when you might need one, and I think it is quite an important thing to have in a sports facility.

“I want to thank everybody from the Lync Active community for the support and the donations and my family and friends that have supported me through it.”

Sarah Illingworth before and after hitting the 30kg weight loss milestone during her weight loss journey.Sarah Illingworth before and after hitting the 30kg weight loss milestone during her weight loss journey.
Sarah Illingworth before and after hitting the 30kg weight loss milestone during her weight loss journey.

Lync Active gym manager, Joe Smith, has been training with Sarah for the last three years and they set the challenge together for when she hit the huge 30kg weight loss.

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Joe said: “We all know how crucial and important a defibrillator is and how critical it can be to saving a life.

“We’ve got some really good support and a thank you from me to Sarah and everybody that's contributed and helped raise funds for what we need to help us buy one.

“Hopefully we can have one last push now to get it ordered.”

Check out Sarah’s fundraising here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/9e5ru-defibrillator-fundraiser?qid=965757f0c3431f2855df041a543420f9

Related topics:WorksopJoe Smith