Coventry veteran takes on the London Marathon for SSAFA

24 March 2026

Coventry Nurse Sarah Hardy has dedicated her life to serving others as part of the Armed Forces and NHS. Now she is setting her sights on the London Marathon hoping to raise vital funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

Born into a military family, Sarah’s first-hand experience of seeing her dad proudly serve within The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers inspired her to begin her own military career, enlisting in the Royal Navy aged just 17.

After meeting her husband during a tour of Bosnia, she left the Royal Navy having served nine years and, after a period of supporting him as an RAF wife in RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, she commissioned in the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) in 2002 where she served for a further 10 years.

Her valiant military career has seen her deploy all over the world – including operational tours in Iraq as well as operations in Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Germany and Cyprus. Coming full circle, she ended her military career as a Major at Colchester Garrison, working within the same military town where she was born.

Now settled in Coventry, close to her parents, she works as an advanced nurse practitioner for the GP out-of-hour service, treating patients needing urgent medical care when the daytime services are closed.

Despite her demanding and vital job, which sees her working permanent night shifts for the NHS, she is determined to achieve her goal to fundraise for SSAFA, a cause close to her heart.

After serving 22 years in the British Army, Sarah’s father, Peter Fazakarley, went on to volunteer as a caseworker for SSAFA for over 30 years. Peter went on to receive a Good Citizen Award from the City of Coventry Lord Mayor in recognition of his services to the local Armed Forces community in 2025. 

Although he has now retired from his volunteering duties, Sarah and her father attend local branch events together, including the SSAFA Coventry Christmas lunch and the city’s Armed Forces Veteran Club, giving them both an opportunity to come together with other veterans in the area.

Veteran Sarah said: “Being born into a military family and then choosing to go onto serve my country, SSAFA has always been present in our lives, with a presence on bases across the world. The support SSAFA, and its volunteers, can offer those in the Armed Forces community can truly change lives – and I am so proud to be running my first marathon for this vital charity. 

“Over the course of 32 years, my father worked tirelessly as a SSAFA volunteer caseworker to improve countless lives of those seeking support within Coventry and the surrounding areas. I’m immensely proud of his dedication so, as a thank you, I’m running this race for him; to show my own gratitude for the commitment he has shown his fellow veterans, serving personnel and their families. Even now, he continues to wear his SSAFA badge with such pride.”

No stranger to huge commitments, Sarah is expertly juggling work, family life and her marathon training. A keen runner, she joined a running group five years ago and has previously completed two half marathons. Enlisting a personal trainer to support with strength and conditioning, she has managed to successfully navigate an early training injury, not letting anything get in her way of achieving her goal.

To keep her motivated during her gruelling 26.2-mile course, Sarah is calling for 26 donors to each sponsor a mile and choose a song to help power her through that leg of the challenge.

Explaining the challenge further, Sarah added: “I am hoping this fundraising drive will help my friends, family or even strangers to feel they are playing a real part of my marathon journey on the day.

“Whether it is something motivational, emotional, completely ridiculous, or guaranteed to make me question my life choices at mile 23 - I’m in! Every pound raised will make a real difference to those who have served our country and their families, directly supporting them as and when they need it.”

Having already raised more than 80% of her £2,500 target, Sarah is determined to complete the elite challenge so that SSAFA can continue to help the entire Armed Forces community - serving and retired, regulars and Reserves, and their families - just as it has since 1885.