Junior Achievement is a global youth charity that helps young people develop essential skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
For over 40 years, it has been a steppingstone for children on the Isle of Man, offering workshops and initiatives throughout the island catering for youngsters in different stages of education.
As part of this year’s Junior Achievement programme, a group of students working under the team name Ascend have been tasked with designing a product that can make a meaningful impact on communities worldwide.
Their solution was to come up with the ‘Downpipe Water Filter’ - a cost-effective and efficient way to purify poor-quality water, potentially saving lives in regions where clean water is scarce.
When brainstorming creative ways to promote their product, the team came up with the idea of a marathon challenge.
And it was 16-year-old Freddie Griffin who put his name forward to complete the mammoth feat.
While some had doubts about whether he could complete it, Freddie was determined.
‘I had convinced myself that I’d complete it, but a lot of my friends and other people in school weren’t as convinced,’ he admitted.
On Saturday, March 1, that determination became reality when, after some careful planning, Freddie arrived at the start line, ready for his epic trek.
Setting off from Ramsey, Freddie embarked on what would be the longest journey of his life - a 26.2 mile run across the island.
With ideal running conditions, he made a strong start, drawing on experience from a previous half marathon and training tips from Christian Varley, who once ran 19 marathons in 19 days.
Along the way, he was cheered on by friends, family, Ascend teammates, and classmates from St Ninian’s High School.
Describing his favourite part of the run, Freddie said: ‘Running from Kirk Michael towards Peel along the coast was definitely the most enjoyable stage.
‘I had just passed 21km, and the view from that section really made the distance easier.’
Despite the uplifting support, the final leg of the run pushed him to his limits.
Battling cramp and peeling feet, he dug deep and kept going.
A final stop at St Ninian’s gave him the last burst of motivation needed to cross the finish line at the Sea Terminal in Douglas, where celebrations awaited him.
Freddie said he felt ‘very accomplished’ after crossing the finish line.
‘I felt very accomplished,’ he said.
‘I wouldn’t say running another marathon is very appealing right now, but maybe in the near future.’
What started as a simple promotional idea blossomed into a very personal challenge for Freddie - one in which he pushed himself outside of his comfort zone to spread the team’s mission.
Junior Achievement Isle of Man is part of Junior Achievement Worldwide, one of the world’s largest non-government organisations (NGOs).