BRNC Boss and triathlete wife tackle half marathon

The Commanding Officer of Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) is putting on his running shoes to lead the College’s fundraising contribution to the Royal Navy’s own charity.

Captain (Capt) Jol Woodard and his wife, Tilda, will be taking part in the Great West Run on Sunday 15 October and is hoping for support from colleagues and friends to raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC).

While Capt Woodard modestly describes himself as a recreational runner, who has competed in a few distance races over the years, Tilda, a Royal Navy Reservist (RNR), is a RN triathlete and seasoned competitor with numerous trophies to her name

Capt Woodard said: “I’ve done the Great West Run once before when I was at University. Tilda and I have run together. There is a bit of friendly competitive spirit between us, but normally what happens is we get eight miles in and then she leaves me behind. 

"The RNRMC is a charity that we both believe in and we wanted a goal and something to aim for together. The Great West Run seemed the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. My objective is firstly to finish the race and then to hopefully do it in less than two hours. 

"I’ve no doubt that Tilda will finish this half marathon much quicker than me. She’ll probably leave a note at the finishing line for me to give her a call when I get there.”

The RNRMC is a charity that we both believe in and we wanted a goal and something to aim for together.

Captain Jol Woodard RN, Commanding Officer of Britannia Royal Naval College

Lieutenant Commander (Lt Cdr) Woodard, as she is known in the RNR, began her military career as a Royal Air Force (RAF) helicopter pilot. She rowed for the RAF and originally ran middle-distance races, before stepping up to long distance and triathlons. Mrs Woodard has also competed for Devon. 

She said: “We’ve always run as a family. We took in turns in pushing our then six-month old daughter in her buggy around a half-marathon course many years ago.  With us both working for the Royal Navy it’s great to be able to keep any money we do raise in-house. We’ve set ourselves a target of £500, but it would be great to raise more.”

The RNRMC is the principal charity of the Royal Navy and exists to support sailors, marines and their families, for life. Anyone wishing to show their support to Capt and Mrs Woodard can do so online at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CaptainBRNC