OmanPride: NHI chief participates in London Marathon to raise funds

Thousands of runners hit the streets of London last month as they participated in one of the biggest events of the year — the London Marathon 2017. Sporting their eye-catching costumes and armed with energy and enthusiasm, people joined in the event with a one-point agenda — to fundraise for the different charities they were representing. And among the thousands was Robert MacLean, principal of the National Hospitality Institute (NHI), Muscat, who took part in the event for a bigger cause.

While there are plenty of heartwarming stories shared by people who participated in the run, for MacLean, it was an awe-inspiring moment as he took part in this event to fund raise for UK Youth, and for the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities in Oman. Talking about what motivated him to run for the London Marathon, MacLean, said after running the Muscat Marathon, he liked the idea of running at a bigger event.

“I was lucky to get into the London Marathon as many get rejected. “The fact that you can raise money for a good cause while doing something you enjoy makes it an easy decision. In this case, it was for UK Youth and also for the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities,” he said.

Having trained to run for the Muscat Marathon in January, Maclean realised that he was physically well trained to take part in a bigger marathon. “I started running with my running group called the SLOBIS here in Muscat about five years ago. We entered the half marathon for three years then some took part in the marathon over the last two years.

“The SLOBIS group meets every Friday morning at Shatti to do our run. It has become an institution and I could not have run the London Marathon without their support,” said MacLean, who got great support from his friends Anisa, Raffy, Katie, and Tara, who undertook extra runs with him to help him gear up for the London event.”

Being the head of an institution, MacLean feels it his moral responsibility to promote charity among his students. While they are linked with the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities and have been raising funds for the institute over the years, NHI is also involved in other charitable initiatives, such as hosting charity gourmet dinners and more.

“We operate the classroom restaurant at NHI and we give 5 per cent of our fully paid lunches to the same charity. That way students see the ability to raise money for good causes,” said MacLean, while also thanking all those who have supported his enthusiasm and initiative. —swati@timesofoman.com