Meet Rachel A
Rachel
Kollo Ambassador · Runner & Charity Fundraising Manager
Rachel is a Community Fundraising Manager at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a London Marathon finisher, and part of the Brooks Run Happy Team UK. Her running journey — from Couch to 5K to London Marathon — is one of the most transformative stories in the Kollo community.
Meet Rachel
Some ambassador stories are about performance. Others are about transformation. Rachel's is about how running found her at a moment she needed it most, and how that decision to lace up on a difficult day changed everything that came afterwards. Today we'd like to introduce you to Rachel — Community Fundraising Manager at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, London Marathon finisher, Brooks Run Happy Team UK member, and one of our UK ambassadors.
Hi, my name is Rachel, and I am a Community Fundraising Manager at the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and alongside this I am a keen runner, walker and most recently a strength trainer.
On Christmas Day 2018 the life I had known changed forever. The man who I loved and trusted had been cheating on me for 6 months. I didn't see it coming, and it took me to a mentally dark place.
That is when I found running. On a day when everything felt too much, I decided to try running. I had always enjoyed the gym, but the thought of running instantly scared me as I didn't think I would be able to do it. However, there was something about being outside, being free and just being able to process things in my mind which I loved.
I then signed up to couch 2 5k and once I completed that there was no going back. I moved on to doing the Vitality 10k, quite a few half marathons and most recently completed the London Marathon in October 2022 which was an absolute dream. Running has changed my life for the better, I now have a new partner and we live in a beautiful end of terrace in the countryside with our Labrador Yianis who is a complete joy.
I am now part of the Brooks Run Happy Team for the UK and have made some lovely friends through this as well as in the running community itself. I am happier than I have ever been, and I really owe so much to running. It really is the most incredible and life changing sport.
As running is such a huge part of my life, I spent some time looking into what would be best to help me on my journey. I then came across Kollo after researching the benefits of collagen for runners and especially now that I am also incorporating strength training into my routine.
Collagen is one of the structural proteins in tendons and ligaments, and there is emerging research into collagen supplementation and joint comfort in active adults. Not only is collagen something I wanted to include for running, I also wanted to improve my hair and nails and I have already noticed a significant difference in them.
When it came to finding the right collagen, Kollo just seemed like the choice. I love the fact that I can have a sachet with water each day and it tastes good. Being active is everything to me, I find that exercise and just moving my body makes me feel incredible, so I like to ensure I find things to keep me moving, and Kollo is definitely helping me. I find it so easy to incorporate Kollo into my routine, and I am looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me.
— Rachel
You can follow Rachel's running, training and everyday life on Instagram at @running_with_rach.
Why we love working with Rachel
Rachel's story is one that many people will recognise elements of — a difficult chapter, an unexpected discovery, and the slow rebuilding of a life through something as apparently simple as putting on trainers and heading out the door. Her journey from that Christmas Day in 2018 through Couch to 5K, half marathons, and eventually London Marathon 2022 is a genuinely transformative arc, and the fact that she now shares that experience with the running community — including through the Brooks Run Happy Team and her work at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People — is exactly the kind of authentic voice we love working with.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, where Rachel works as Community Fundraising Manager, is one of the UK's genuinely brilliant charities — training dogs to alert deaf people to important sounds and provide life-changing companionship. It's the kind of quietly important work that changes real lives, and we're proud to have Rachel — with all her energy and dedication — as part of the Kollo community.
About Kollo
Kollo Health was co-founded by Jenni Falconer — TV presenter, Smooth Radio breakfast host, ten-time London Marathon runner and host of the RunPod podcast. Our flagship product, Kollo Premium Liquid Marine Collagen, delivers 10,000mg of Naticol® marine collagen peptides per daily sachet alongside vitamin C, B vitamins and l-lysine. Every batch is Informed Choice certified — independently tested for over 250 prohibited and potentially harmful substances.
The evidence base for hydrolysed marine collagen is strongest for skin outcomes — elasticity, hydration, and the appearance of fine lines — over 8-12 weeks of consistent daily use. Emerging evidence supports joint comfort at 12+ weeks. Individual results vary. Marine collagen isn't a treatment for any medical condition, injury, or mental health concern.
Kollo Health was co-founded by Jenni Falconer — TV presenter, Smooth Radio breakfast host, ten-time London Marathon runner and host of the RunPod podcast. Read her story and why she created Kollo.
