Charlotte Cox, a dedicated Ward Secretary at the Children's Critical Care Unit at the JR, has gone the extra mile – quite literally – to support the Oxford Hospitals Charity and the vital work of her department.

One of Charlotte’s favourite hobbies outside of work is running, and this summer she decided to test herself by taking on an Ultramarathon called 'Race to the Stones’ a gruelling 100KM run covering an elevation of 3,740ft to raise money for her department.

The route started in Lewknor travelling along the Ridgeway national trail, Uffington White Horse, and Liddington Castle, before finishing at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Avebury stone circle with Charlotte running throughout the day to complete this challenge.

Undertaking the ultramarathon was no mean feat, and Charlotte's determination and courage shone through as she conquered the challenging course with colleagues there to cheer her on.

Speaking to Charlotte about the challenge she said, Despite the torrential rain at some points, I really enjoyed it and could not have asked for it to have gone any better. There were a few tough moments towards the end but the support from friends, family, and everyone else along the way got me through and I managed to finish over an hour quicker than I had planned still in one piece!

The passion for her role as Ward Secretary clearly extends beyond her daily responsibilities with a desire to make an impact on the lives of the children and their families that find themselves in the critical care unit.

The unit plays a vital role in providing advanced medical care to young patients facing critical health conditions. Charlotte's dedication and willingness to push herself to the limit with this challenge reflects the commitment displayed by the entire unit as they work tirelessly to give every child the best possible chance of recovery.

Sarah Barton, both a colleague and friend from the unit said, ‘Charlotte's achievement is an inspiration to us all in the department. This race is a true test of endurance and were so proud to be able to be there to cheer her on!

‘Charlotte is such key part of the day-to-day running of the unit and nothing is ever too much trouble for her.

‘She has raised over £1300 so far and this money will be put to good use funding projects on the unit that our nurses lead and champion- such as support packs, updating parents' sitting rooms and accommodation.’

Speaking on behalf of the charity Ella Cooper said, ‘Charlotte works in such a challenging environment yet still manages to find the time to raise money for her department to make improvements for her patients and their families - what an amazing woman she is!’

If you would like to support Charlottes fundraising please visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/charlottesrunforccc