A 20-year-old woman from Taunton is preparing to take on a coastal fitness challenge later this month to celebrate her remarkable recovery from anorexia. Tabitha White is raising money to support Beat, the UK's leading eating disorder charity, after overcoming a year of severe health struggles.
Challenge Details and Adaptation
Tabitha will join 1,500 participants in the South West Coast Ultra Challenge along the Exmoor and North Devon coastline on Saturday, July 25. Initially aiming for 50km, she has adjusted her goal to 10km to protect her ongoing health, with plans to walk an additional 40km across multiple walks afterward.
“Due to the heat and medical circumstances, I've had to drop to the 10k on the day and build 40k across more walks thereafter to suit me medically at the moment, and it's still a huge achievement considering where I was this time last year,” Tabitha said.
Her Journey with Anorexia
Tabitha fell ill after a desire to improve her lifestyle in the summer of 2024 quickly spiraled out of control. “August came and went, and suddenly it had developed. The food I ate wasn't pure enough, the calories weren't low enough, and I myself wasn't skinny enough,” she recalled. “I'd lost weight but, in the process, I'd lost myself too. I was too tired for a witty comeback or to sing along to the Gillette advert. I was fading at an obscene rate.”
“There were times I slept in my parents' room because I was terrified I wouldn't wake up. It was excruciating, not just for me but for the network around me. It wasn't just me anymore – anorexia was in everyone around me too,” she added.
Turning Point and Motivation
Tabitha described a pivotal moment: “It clicked. It was my life to live, and I was going to live it.” She decided to use her experience to help others facing similar struggles. “I'm doing the challenge because I've seen the dark days, months, years even, and I found that letting the light back in meant embracing the support that deep down I knew I needed and that I was extremely lucky to receive,” she explained.
“Beat is one of the incredible charities that work to relieve this darkness and make it momentary. Whatever I can do to contribute to someone seeing in their next chapter, I will,” she said. “For everyone it's different, but for me anorexia felt indefinite. I can liken it to checking in without knowing when you'll leave, if you'll leave or even where the door is if you finally get to go. But the door is there, and behind it is the rest of my life. That's why I'm walking, because all those doors deserve to be found, opened and lived.”
How to Support
Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/page/tabandneiltake50. Those interested in signing up for the walking challenge can find more information at www.ultrachallenge.com/sw-coast-50/. The event takes place at Exmoor and the North Devon Coastline, with registration fees applicable.
