A FITNESS instructor who hoola-hooped her way to the finish line of London Marathon is already gearing up for next year’s event.

Sasha Kenney, who lives in Gresford, raised £2,200 for the NSPCC by running the marathon while spinning a hoop round her waist.

Now Sasha, who runs a number of fitness classes across the region, plans to invite a representative from Guinness World Records to the 2012 event to watch her hoola-hoop the route all over again.

She said: “Now I know it can be done I want to get in the record books.

“I hooped the whole 26 miles this time but I’ll need someone there to make sure nobody knocks me if I’m going for the record.”

She said fellow marathon runners and watching crowds were very supportive of her challenge and only knocked her hoop a couple of time last month.

“It was amazing,” she said. “The atmosphere just keeps you going.

“I don’t even remember the last two miles – you just get to the point where your mind and body just separate.”

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

She was set a special marathon training regime by the NSPCC.

She said: “I had only trained for 18 miles so the last few were difficult.”

Sasha completed the 26-mile route in five hours and 30 minutes.

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.

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