Ellie Ripley’s running journey began when she was a child, running cross country in all weather conditions. As a young runner, she was very competitive and enjoyed racing against her friends, however, when her studies became too much Ellie had to put her running on hold.

Now, as a Respiratory Physiotherapist, Ellie has a different relationship with running - one where her biggest competition is herself. Prior to the pandemic, her plan was to run her first marathon before the age of 25, but when the Manchester Marathon was cancelled and her workload shifted to long 10 hour shifts treating Covid patients, running became something to help her deal with the changing world around her.

Today, Ellie is back training for the Manchester Marathon (hopefully taking place in October this year) and has even managed to encourage her colleagues to lace up!

In this episode, Ellie talks about how her relationship with running has changed during the pandemic as well as what more could be done to encourage young girls to get into sport.

Guest: Ellie Ripley
Host: Emily Jones
Music: Cali by Wataboi

Find out more about Run Panthera by visiting www.runpanthera.com