Sally Orange: Juice Do It!
As Sally Orange sits on the other side of a Zoom call to us, we can't help but think about how this is probably her last chance to relax for a very long time. The army veteran and physiotherapist exudes a quiet energy, putting us in no doubt that the series of challenges ahead that she has set for herself will not only be endured, but conquered.
Sally has taken on a lot in the coming year, yet as we chat, she does not seem fazed by the scale of her commitments. Instead, she reiterates that she is just a normal person, not an elite athlete. We'll let you decide if you agree with her by the end of this blog!
The biggest challenge on Sally's list for 2022 is something most people have probably never imagined could be a real event: 7 marathons in 7 days, on 7 continents. The World Marathon Challenge, as it is known, will take place in October, with Sally running 42.2km a day in Antarctica, South Africa, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Brazil and finally Florida. If that isn't mind-boggling enough, she already holds the accolade of being the only known person to have run a marathon on every continent dressed as a piece of fruit. That's right - she has been through this ordeal before and still decided to do it again, but consecutively this time.
What is fascinating is that Sally has turned her training for this event into a series of opportunities to support causes close to her heart. In April, she was due to complete the North Pole marathon dressed as a slice of lemon, where she would have been ‘ice and a slice’ in aid of the charity Marathon Kids. Unfortunately, that was cancelled due to Covid and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Not one to be deterred by the situation, she is instead skiing from one side of Svalbard in Northern Norway to the other, whilst pulling all the equipment she needs behind her in a sled.
She is also currently covering 7k a day, either walking, running, cycling or skiing for 70 days to honour every year of the Queen's reign for her Platinum Jubilee for the charity Walking with the Wounded. Not to mention that there'll be a couple of Ironman races and long cycles sprinkled across her schedule for good measure!
Sally is no stranger to testing the limits of her endurance. She already has 8 full Ironman triathlons and 71 marathons ticked off from her bucket list, as well as the gruelling Marathon Des Sables, a multiday race through the Sahara Desert. She's also been part of a team that swam the English Channel and skied across the Finnmark Plateau in Norway. It's safe to say that Sally has probably raced in every conceivable weather condition. During her latest marathon in usually sunny Cyprus (wearing a bunch of grapes costume), she had to reckon with multiple hailstorms on the route.
Yet, no doubt along the way, her own mantra of #JuiceDoIt was keeping her feet one in front of the other. With a surname like Orange, sadly Sally was teased and named called at school; however, she now considers her name to be her superpower, as it has led to so many exciting adventures all over the world. She tells us that part of what motivates her in taking on so many different challenges is to show others that there is nothing wrong with being different. In fact, sometimes it can become one of the greatest positive influences on your life.
The other motivating factor for Sally is her drive to raise awareness of mental ill-health and to educate others on the importance of looking out for themselves and others who may be struggling with their mental health. This initially comes in the form of fun, with the brightly coloured fruit costumes she wears catching the eye and inviting people to ask, why? With this approach, Sally is able to start a conversation about mental ill-health and her passion for breaking down the stigma that surrounds it. Completing some of the toughest challenges on earth whilst looking like she belongs in a school lunch box is also a way for her to prove that you don’t have to be the fastest or the fittest, you just have to be willing to have a go.
“If I am vulnerable and exposed, if that helps someone, then I’d prefer to do that rather than hide and pretend to be someone I’m not”
Sally also names her fundraising events to encourage discussions on this sensitive topic, such as her plan this summer to run 7 lots of 7k a day for 7 days on a running track, which she intends to title ‘Round the Bend’ or ‘Going Loopy’. She hopes this will get people thinking about how having poor mental health can feel like going round in circles; however, if you break it down into manageable steps, overcoming it can be achievable. "If I am vulnerable and exposed, if that helps someone, then I'd prefer to do that rather than hide and pretend to be someone I'm not," she shares with us. Sally describes herself as an empath, someone who is sensitive to the struggles of others. It's clear to see that this is a trait she uses as a force for good throughout her fundraising efforts.
Yet, sadly, this hasn't always been the case. Not every environment that Sally has been in has sufficiently supported her empathetic nature. Currently, she works as a health care professional within the NHS, but previously spent 21 years with the army as a physiotherapist. Whilst Sally found the role rewarding, the often male-dominated environment resulted in a lack of understanding of her sensitivity. It was a strength in allowing her to build trust with patients, yet she was made to feel that it was a weakness if she got upset by things. Over time, this has led to Sally developing mental health problems of her own. The lived experience of this plays a huge part in her desire to help others overcome their struggles. It makes sense, then, that after being medically retired from the army, Sally felt that she still had so much more to give and found a new way of doing so through her charity work and voluntary role as National ambassador for the Army Cadet Force.
What strikes us throughout our chat with this incredible human being is the extent of her humility. Sally is a caring presence, making sure that those around her feel at ease. Indeed, at least half of the Zoom call wasn't spent talking about her at all, but rather about Jamie's accident and progress with his own physical and mental wellbeing. Sally describes herself as having "a real interest in listening to other people and finding out their stories", which we certainly experienced for ourselves. We're grateful to have had the chance to learn more about her story and look forward to following her journey starting in Antarctica later this year.
If you'd like to do the same, you can find Sally on Instagram and Twitter @sally0range or at her website www.sallyorange.com
To support her Platinum Jubilee Challenge, go to