42.2km for Bangkok

Running my first marathon to celebrate my 40th birthday and raise funds for Bangkok Community Help Foundation

One year ago, I moved to Bangkok to begin a new chapter and I could never have imagined how much this city would embrace me. Over the past year, Bangkok has become more than the place where I live: it has become my home.

I've fallen in love with its energy, its parks, its incredible food and, most of all, its people. Their kindness, resilience and optimism, inspire me every day.

But Bangkok is also a city of contrasts. Alongside its beautiful streets and endless energy are communities facing real challenges. Over the past year, I had the privilege of volunteering with Bangkok Community Help Foundation, helping prepare and deliver meals to vulnerable communities and spending time with children and families during one of their Kids & Community Days. Seeing the joy on the children's faces, and the dedication of the volunteers, reminded me how much of a difference kindness, compassion and community can make.

The next few weeks mark three special milestones for me:

- One year living in Bangkok


- My 40th birthday on August 3rd


- My first marathon on August 30th

There couldn't be a more meaningful way to celebrate than by giving back.

My goal is to raise THB 100,000 (or more!) to support Bangkok Community Help Foundation. Every baht raised will go directly towards supporting vulnerable communities across Bangkok. For example, around THB 60,000 can fund an entire Kids & Community Day, creating a day filled with games, activities, meals and joyful memories for children and families.

100% of the funds raised will be donated to Bangkok Community Help Foundation. I'll share the transfer confirmation and updates on how the funds are used.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping me give back to the city that has given me so much.

With love,


Paloma

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To learn more about Bangkok Community Help Foundation: www.bangkokcommunityhelp.org

After months of training, early mornings, very long runs, sore legs, and a lot of trial and error, I finally ran my first marathon; all 42.2 km of it.

This was about more than running and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported this fundraising journey. Every donation, message, and word of encouragement gave those kilometres an even bigger purpose.

Thank you for being here, and for helping turn every kilometre into something that can make a difference.

I am taking a couple of days to recover from the race but will share more uplates and next steps once I'm back in Bangkok.

Much love,

- Paloma

Hello friends,

Tomorrow morning I’ll be running my first marathon, and I’m feeling so excited to finally get to try and accomplish this goal I’ve been working towards for so long.

I’m also so grateful to all of you for sending me so much love for my birthday, and for following along on this journey all the way to the start line - and hopefully, tomorrow, the finish line too! :)

I’m also really looking forward to sharing more with you about the impact of your donations and how they will support the work of the Bangkok Community Help Foundation. Thank you for being part of this!

Sending much love from Sydney - looking forward to seeing you all very soon, hopefully with a shiny medal, a big smile, and 42.2 km of joy behind me! 

Paloma

TWO WEEKS TO GO!

It’s hard to believe there are only two weeks to go until the Sydney Marathon, and this journey has become about so much more than running 42.2 km.

When I decided to run for my 40th birthday, I wanted to turn the occasion into something meaningful and use it to support the Bangkok Community Help Centre, an organisation I’ve had the privilege of volunteering with and that does such important work supporting children and families in Bangkok.

The training has definitely tested me.  14 weeks / 650km so far - with Bangkok weather, that often meant 4am wake-ups for long runs on tired legs, heat, humidity, and plenty of moments where 42.2 km felt like a very ambitious idea.

But every kilometre has also reminded me why I’m doing this, and I look forward to running my first marathon in two weeks!

Thanks to everyone who has already donated, shared this page, sent me a message, or simply followed along.

If you’ve been meaning to donate, now is a lovely time to do it. Every contribution, big or small, will go towards helping the Bangkok Community Help Centre continue the work they do.

Two weeks to go! Thank you for being part of this journey!!

- Paloma