Zumbathon raises £218 for local charity

Zumba Samina ran a two hour Zumbathon at the Sarisbury Green Community Centre on Saturday 16th March in aid of Battle on Obesity (BOO).

BOO is the brainchild of Bethany Churcher, who at the age of eight, was diagnosed with Compulsive Eating Disorder. In the past two years, she has spent a total of six months in hospital due to weight-related complications. In the Summer of 2011, she had her gall bladder removed and was diagnosed with Intra-Cranial Hypertension, a condition in which the spinal fluid builds up around the brain, eventually casing you to go blind. It was only at this point that her Doctors decided to intervene and gave her a gastric bypass operation. Since receive the operation, she has lost 12 stone, and believes that without it her life may have been in serious danger.

This is why Bethany started The BOO Foundation. It is her goal to spread awareness of the causes of obesity, and to help teach young children the truth about food and people's attitudes towards it.

Eventually Bethany hopes to raise enough money to help people like her get the surgery they need before it is too late. She also wants to help them cope after surgery, to deal with the weight loss and the changes it will bring to their life.

A total of 22 people attended the Zumbathon, the majority stayed the full two hours, and everyone had a great time. An incredible £218 was raised for BOO.

Find out more about Zumba Samina here.