Isle of Wight ultra trail runner Charlotte Fisher has been named 1 of 12 winners of Snap Fitness’ inaugural Grassroots to Greatness Athletic Grant Programme.
The initiative has awarded a total of £20,000 in grants to athletes and clubs across the UK & Ireland, selected from more than 200 applications nationwide.
31-year-old Charlotte’s journey into the sport began in 2023 when she signed up for a 106km charity challenge around the Isle of Wight in memory of her late aunt, despite having no previous running background. To her own surprise, she won the race after just 12 weeks of training, sparking a remarkable progression in the sport.
Since then, she has gone on to win the North Downs Way 100 miler, set the fastest known time on the Isle of Wight coastal path, placed 3rd in Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100 mile, one of the toughest races in Europe and finished 2nd in the Lakeland100.
She has now qualified for athlete entry to the prestigious UTMB in 2026.
Charlotte credits her late aunt Jane as her biggest inspiration and motivation and says her running is driven by the desire to make her proud.
On receiving the grant, Charlotte said:
“I felt extremely honoured that Snap Fitness were willing to support me and my journey. It means I can enter races without worrying as much about the cost and focus on my training and performance.”
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Snap Fitness EMEA CEO Kevin Yates said:
“Grassroots to Greatness is about more than financial support. It’s about belief, visibility and opportunity. We wanted to do something meaningful for our communities; we wanted to give back, inspire and motivate and this is how Grassroots to Greatness was conceived. We are proud to back this incredibly inspiring group of athletes and over the next year we will share their stories, their highs, hopefully not too many lows and their journeys as they pursue their sporting dreams.”
The 12 grant winners represent a wide range of sports including athletics, mountaineering, para-rowing, karate, American football, ultra-running and more.
About time Charlotte’s achievements were recognised and supported. She’s A great representative for the healthy vegan lifestyle too. Well done lovely lady.