A FITNESS instructor is hoping to hoola-hoop her way to the finish line at this year’s London Marathon.

Sasha Kenney, who lives in Gresford, is aiming to raise money for the charity by running this year’s marathon whilst rotating a hoola-hoop round her waist.

Sasha, who runs a number of hoola-hoop fitness classes across Wrexham,
Oswestry, Chirk and Chester, said: “I started teaching hoola-hooping a few years ago and I always found it fun, but never realised how effective it was for fitness.

“I’ve had great success teaching it locally and I want to take it to a national level and that’s partly why I’m running the marathon.”

Sasha set up her company Hoola Nation which runs the fitness classes for adults and children three years ago and has been teaching it ever since.

She has been set a special training regime by the NSPCC, whom she is raising funds for.

She said: “I’ve been training every other day to build my fitness for the marathon and I’m hoping to introduce my hoola-hoop into the regime soon.

“I’ve only ever done a half-marathon and that was without the hoop, so it will be a bit more difficult this time.”

Sasha is hoping to complete the 26-mile London Marathon route in about five hours.

Last year Sasha helped to spread hoola-hoop fever in local schools with a sponsored ‘Hoola-Hoop Half-Hour’.

Pupils from Darland High School, Ysgol Clywedog and Ysgol y Grango all participated in the event, which helped to raise £400 for the NSPCC.

Sasha is aiming to raise £2,000  in total for the NSPCC and is holding a sponsored ‘Hoola Mile’ event and fun day in her home village on a date yet to be confirmed.

Sasha said: “We’ve got about 50 women and children who come along to the classes taking part and we’ll be having a fun day with ‘fire-hooping’ and other hoola-hooping activities. I’d encourage anyone who wants to take part to come down.”

Sasha is also looking to train new hoola hoop instructors for her classes.

- For more information go to www.hoolanation.co.uk.