"I'm so proud": Teenager conquers 15k inflatable course for military children charity Little Troopers

Kiki Tautz, 14, has gone above and beyond for Little Troopers charity by completing a 15k inflatable course - and she has raised over £1,000. The run took place on July 20 in Eastleigh and initially she was due to complete 10k, but she decided to push herself even more and take on 15k.

Kiki’s Dad has served in the Royal Air Force since she was born and he often has to spend long periods of time away from home on overseas deployments, missing several family Christmases, many of Kiki’s birthday celebrations and first day of secondary school. Her Dad is currently deployed, his ninth deployment in 14 years, and he will not be home until after the end of the summer holidays. 

Kiki said: "On the day I felt I could push myself more so I did an extra 5k, running 15k in total. I really enjoyed the challenge but it was hard towards the end. My Grandad who served with the Royal Marines was at the end to surprise me with my medal. I'm so proud of myself and cannot wait to take on new challenges in the future. Thank you to everyone who supported me and to Little Troopers."

The money raised will help fund Little Troopers ongoing projects including its Little Trooper of the Month Award scheme, Little Troopers at School programme and its annual Christmas Smiles initiative for children who have parents deployed over the festive season. 

In a previous interview, Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers said: “Kiki shows us that every pound raised can make a difference. We are so touched that Kiki is still supporting our charity and has already raised a huge amount before even setting foot on an inflatable! We know this is going to be a big challenge for Kiki – 10K is a really long distance for anyone – but she’s a determined little trooper and we can’t wait to cheer her over the finish line.”

Kiki has raised a grand total of £1,140. To make a last minute donation to the fundraiser, click here.