We were so proud this week to see former Westholme student and online fitness influencer Celia Parker in the LIVE Ribble Valley Magazine, talking about recently completing what is often hailed as the toughest footrace on earth – the Marathon des Sables.

The Marathon des Sables is a gruelling, multi-stage ultra-marathon held in the extreme desert environment of the Moroccan Sahara. The event tests not only physical fitness but also mental resilience, as runners contend with extreme heat, vast sand dunes, rocky terrain and long distances.

Celia Parker, who recently took on the challenge, says: “I knew it would be a tough event both  physically and mentally but I’m not sure I expected it to be quite as hard as it was!

”At 25, Celia, who is from the Ribble Valley, has built an impressive career by combining her passions for fashion, fitness and content creation. After leaving Westholme, she earned a degree in Fashion Business and Management from Manchester Metropolitan University before becoming a social media and content creator. Working on both in-house and location-based campaigns, this led to a successful career as an online influencer.

Celia’s passion for health and fitness has seen her competing successfully in Hyrox competitions and becoming an ambassador for the movement and competing globally.

Now firmly established as a leading fitness and activewear influencer, she shares workout, training and sports fashion content with an audience of more than 146.5k on TikTok and 96.5k on Instagram.

Her growing influence has led to collaborations with some of the industry’s leading brands, including Gymshark, Oneractive, Represent 247, Lululemon and Salomon – who provided clothing and support for the Marathon des Sables.

A conversation with her friend Helena, who was recovering from a brain tumour, led Celia to enter the Marathon des Sables despite knowing very little about the event: “Helena had been through so much with her illness and wanted to test her limits by taking on the race,” recalls Celia, whose father Michael Parker lives in Newton-in-Bowland.

“When Helena asked me to join her, I didn’t hesitate – supporting her was what mattered most. Looking back though, nothing could have prepared us for the physical and emotional challenges that the Marathon des Sables puts you through.”

Recollecting the extremes in temperature, Celia explains: “The heat is often over 35 degrees during the day and then really cold at night. “Competitors have to be self-sufficient throughout the race, so we carried our own food, clothing and essential equipment with the organisers providing water and the overnight bivouac canopies we slept under.

I can hardly put into words the highs and lows the race takes you through – crying with pain and exhaustion one minute and then happy and elated the next. “You are stripped of all your comforts and pushed far beyond your normal limits. The emotions were raw, but the experience taught me to accept the pain and adapt to the discomfort.

“What got me through was the incredible camaraderie and support from fellow competitors and volunteers.” As this year was the 40th anniversary of the Marathon des Sables it was a longer and tougher race – spanning 271.5km challenging runners with the longest single stage in the race’s history.

The very first day hit hard for Celia: “I got blisters and had to be treated in the medical tent on day one,” she says. “I knew I had six more days ahead of me and it really tested my resilience – but more than ever the event showed me that we can all do so much more than we think we’re capable of.”

This was especially true for Celia on day four which sees competitors covering 100 km (circa 62 miles) – starting before sunrise and finishing in the early hours: “I can’t put into words how tough that day was, but the people get you through – other competitors, the volunteers all there cheering you on and giving you the strength to keep going,” she says

“We experienced intense heat, excruciating muscle pain, swollen feet and even a sandstorm –  but what a life affirming event it was! I feel incredibly lucky and even luckier that my dad met me at the finish line – he’d made the trip from Lancashire to Morocco and then taken a six-hour car drive to make sure he was there to cheer me on – and bring chocolate! So many tears but I was so grateful!”

Celia, who now lives in Manchester, will be heading next to Stockholm, to compete in the Hyrox World Championships – there really is no stopping her!