As a relative running novice who only took to his heels after the first lockdown hit, Ross, ofTunbridge Wells firm Panoramic Wealth Management Ltd, was astonished when his against-the-odds application to enter the famous race was accepted.
He immediately decided to use the opportunity to raise funds for Crowborough-based charity Taylor Made Dreams, which was created in memory of his footballing teammate Taylor Mitchell, who died in 2011 aged just 15.
Former Skinners’ School pupil Ross explained how his marathon challenge came about: “At Skinners’ I played rugby, cricket and football for the respective first teams, but hated running – certainly long distances.
“However, I forced myself into the habit throughout the first lockdown, and entered the 2021 London Marathon feeling fully confident that the odds were stacked against me actually receiving a place. With only about four per cent of ballot entrants being successful in a usual year I thought there was next to no chance of me being accepted.
“Queue the cold sweats when I opened the email from the organisers saying: ‘Congratulations’!
“With 26.2 miles ahead of me, my thoughts turned towards which charity I could raise money for, and my mind kept turning to Taylor Made Dreams, a charity set up to honour Taylor Mitchell, who was a childhood friend through playing football for Jarvis Brook.
“My father, Gary Jefferies, was our manager for many years. Now our family business, Panoramic Wealth, will continue to support Taylor Made dreams in the future.”
The charity enables children with life-limiting illnesses to achieve their dreams and provides holistic therapeutic support for their families.
“The primary aim is to assist in the creation of a unique ‘Bucket List’, which is ‘Taylor Made’ to meet the specific needs and desires of the individual child,” explains Ross.
“I started with the goal of raising £1,000, but increased it to £1,500 and have since moved it up to £2,000.
“The current total, plus Gift Aid, sits at £3,130.25, which I am incredibly proud of.”
If you would like to donate, search for Ross Jefferies at: uk.virginmoneygiving.com
