Workneh Dechasa Education Foundation

Nicky runs 9 marathons in 9 months for the school in Oromia

Thanks, gratitude and respect to our chief fundraiser, Nicky Lopez who has raised over £30,000 for WDEF through his fund raising activities. On a truly miserable November day (for spectators and runners) in Battersea Park, Nicky completed the challenge he set himself at the beginning of the year.

He began in March with a marathon on a treadmill at KXU gym where he works in Kensington, then the London Marathon in April, Exeter in May and 105 laps of an athletics running track at Ware in Hertfordshire. Though he wasn’t competing, he came second!

Then came probably the biggest challenge of all, the Snowden Trail marathon, with 1,600 metres of elevation over the course of 42 kms distance! Rich Owen, who also raised funds for WDEF shared the pain. After that, a trot around the lakes of Upsala with his friend, Andy, was a warm down!

The Ouse Trail Marathon lived up to its name, with torrential rain and muddy riverside paths, but Lisbon, where Nicky was supported by fair-weather family and friends, compensated somewhat.

To break the monotony (and to raise more funds for WDEF) Nicky, Rich and Robyn won the Team Triathlon at Dorney Lake, and Nicky completed the London Classics by adding RideLondon (100 miles cycle) and SwimSerpentine (2 miles open water) to his London Marathon Run.

An amazing achievement!

What’s next?

In 2025 Nicky is preparing a group of 5 runners for the London Landmarks Half-marathon, 1 runner for the London Marathon, and 3 swimmers for SwimSerpentine, all of whom have committed to raising funds for our school.

Since we told you that Nicky had challenged himself to run 9 marathons in 9 months, he has completed four of them. In addition to the massive London marathon, where Workneh Dechasa Education Foundation when we supported him with our flags, banners and leaflets, he has run the quieter Exeter marathon, a track marathon (106 laps) in Ware and a treadmill marathon (which is even harder than it sounds.

He also cycled Ride London (100 miles through Essex and East London) and with his friends Robyn and Richard believe they can win the team marathon at Dorney Lake near Maidenhead on the 22nd September. By way of relaxation he’s planning to scramble the Snowdon Trail Marathon on 14th July!

The reason he’s doing all this is because he was close to Workneh and his family, devastated by his death and determined to see the school built in his memory.

If you want to set yourself a challenge to raise money for Workneh, get in touch with Nicky. He’ll help you get fit and build the confidence to believe you can do it. That’s why we’ve signed up for 5 places in the London Landmarks Half-marathon next April, and Nicky is preparing two young runners to take on the challenge and raise money from their own family and friends (even though they never new Workneh).

Any challenge will do! Something like Giftii and Siobhan did making amazing cakes for the Crouch End Craft fair and making £300. Lose weight, learn to swim, perform a concert. Giftii is off to meet our partners in Oromia and we hope to be starting work on the school very soon. And once the work starts, things can move very quickly.

So please, spread the word, take on the challenge and collect fund for a school in Oromia.