Inspiring Interview With Fiona Oakes, World Record Breaker And Ultra-Marathon Runner

Read our interview with four-times world record breaker and ultra-marathon runner, Fiona Oakes. Having broken records in some of the world’s most inhospitable conditions despite having only one kneecap, Fiona’s achievements are testament to her resolve.

For Fiona, the desire to help animals is her driving force. By continuing to smash boundaries, she raises the profile of her growing animal sanctuary and proves that people who follow a vegan diet are both mentally and physically strong.

As an ultra-marathon runner, you have competed in some exotic locations. Tell me more about your running adventures.

My running career started out pretty normally – as a straight forward marathon runner trying to promote veganism through something which was considered really tough. This was back in 2001, before social media and the popularity marathon running has now garnered in the UK and across the globe.

At that time, running was receiving an enormous amount of attention in the UK because of Paula Radcliffe’s success.  I simply thought I might be able to capitalise on that by competing in, and hopefully completing, an event myself.

My ambition in the event grew quickly.  I now have two top 20 places in major marathons, many wins and course records and a personal best of 2 hours and 38 minutes.

It was after a few years of this that people began to suggest I try ‘alternative’ events and this is when my ultra and adventure marathon running career began. I have run just about everywhere on the planet from the North Pole to Antarctica, on all seven continents twice, and in many of the biggest deserts such as the Sahara, Namib and Atacama.

I particularly enjoy the ‘challenge’ of the ultra-stage races which require total self-sufficiency over a period of a week and are generally around 250km in distance. Held in some of the most remote and outstandingly beautiful – but often hostile – terrains, they really do teach you an awful lot about yourself and the plight of others.

How do people react when they discover the athletic boundaries you have broken as a vegan?

In general, they are truly quite shocked, not only with my veganism but the length of time I have followed this philosophy, which is now 47 years. I won’t say I have received a lot of hostility towards my vegan stance but there has been a lot of negativity.  And I have always felt I have a point to prove which has actually worked to my advantage because I believe it has given me added mental strength and determination to do it for those who have no voice.

People may not agree with my choices but when I am competing at elite level and very often beating them, they cannot deny it works and is a viable and valid choice which cannot be argued with.

I guess that was the raw and basic idea behind the running and why I started on this challenging path.  You can argue with rhetoric and resign it to the annals of opinion, but actions cannot be ignored and achievements cannot be undermined.

Is challenging stereotypes important to you? In what other areas of your life do you challenge people’s expectations?

I have always felt the need to challenge expectations – especially those about women being physically weak. When I joined the Fire Service in 2001 this was very much the case with there being far fewer female firefighters than there are today and certainly no vegan ones that I was aware of.

I think it is important to be a positive role model for all humanity. I have often heard that veganism and feminism are closely aligned which I believe has a great deal of credibility.

How long have you been vegan for? Is it too late for people in middle age to explore a vegan diet for the first time?

Having been vegan for nearly 50 years, I honestly cannot remember a time when I wasn’t vegan. I wouldn’t have it any other way and the sad thing I hear from people when they speak to me about their own personal path to finding this lifestyle is that their only regret is that they didn’t find it sooner.

No age is too late to explore veganism.  It just has to be done with common sense and balance in finding what works best for you as an individual.

People often consider veganism to be ‘just a diet’, but your passion for animals also extends to running a sanctuary. Tell me the story of how you came to look after more than 550 animals.

This is the difference between ‘plant based’ lifestyles and being vegan. I am 100% vegan – plant based is ‘just a diet’ but for me, veganism isn’t just about what you eat it is what you believe, what you know to be true and justice and equality for all.

I didn’t set out to run a sanctuary, I just wanted to provide safety to the animals I had rescued. Oscar, an ex-racehorse who I had saved, became injured when a farmer allowed rabbit shooting on the land I rented from him.

I decided I couldn’t let this happen again, and after a long period of fundraising, and the undwindling support from my family, we purchased the land for Tower Hill Stables.

As the number of creatures under our care grew, our fundraising has not stopped, and we have since moved to a larger site, meaning we can care for even more abandoned and abused animals.

What advice can other women take from you when managing busy lifestyles?

My best advice is know your strengths and how to capitalise and utilise them to their best. Don’t let your weaknesses define you but always respect and understand you have them.

Multi-tasking is something I am supremely adept at and, like many other women, I have learned to embrace the skill to its absolute maximum. It’s hard to advise others but self-belief and passion for what you are doing is so important when taking on a challenge.

I always say if I find myself doing something I am not very good at I will stand back, work out why and if I can’t improve, I will move on and do something I can do better.

Don’t waste time, it’s a very precious and often underrated commodity which can run out in the blink of an eye!