Following graduation, Jasmin worked as a vet for a year in a small animal practice near Glossop, Derbyshire, completed a year’s small animal rotating internship in Minnesota, USA followed by a three year residency in small animal internal medicine in Edinburgh. It was her move to Edinburgh that prompted her to start running.
Jasmin was nominated for the award by Dr Gail Leeming, Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology at the University of Liverpool. Gail described her achievement in winning the Spine Race as ‘remarkable’ and a ‘feat of physical and mental strength.’
The Spine Race is a 268 mile race along the Pennine Way from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. The race is run annually in mid-January. Competitors are required to carry all their kit (sleeping bag, shelter, cooking equipment, food and clothing) and navigate the race unaided through all weather conditions, mostly in darkness.
Jasmin finished first overall, becoming the first female to win the race outright, and broke the existing male record by 12 hours, completing the race in just 83 hours and 12 minutes.
Jasmin also had to stop at checkpoints along the way to express milk as she was still breastfeeding her baby daughter Rowan at the time. She attributes some of her success in the race to her daughter: “I think my daughter was an advantage in terms of sleep deprivation training – I only slept for three hours during the race, but I’m guessing I was better prepared for that than any of the other competitors!”
Her victory garnered international attention, with television appearances, write ups in the Guardian, Vogue, the BBC and others, and she was congratulated on Twitter by Chelsea Clinton, who described her as an ‘inspiration’. In December, she was celebrated as the Barclays Sportswoman of the Year at the Women of the Year awards and lunch.