A fashion magazine editor is swapping her high heels for sneakers to take part in the New York City Marathon.Bermudian Shiona Turini, accessories director for Teen Vogue, is planning to run across the city’s five burroughs Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan on Sunday.She is taking part in the 26.2 mile marathon in aid of the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy and Manhattan-based charity Lower East Side Girls Club.“When I found out that a Bermuda organisation was raising funds for the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, I immediately volunteered to do what I could for this cause,” she said.“I try and support my Country in any way that I can but this hit especially close to home for me. My nephew has developmental and educational delays, and while he was enrolled in school in Bermuda I felt that it was a constant struggle with the education system to provide him with the curriculum, care and attention necessary to ensure he was getting the best education possible.”She also hopes to raise awareness and bring attention to special needs education in Bermuda.Her other charity of choice, the Lower East Side Girls Club in Manhattan, is supported by two of her Teen Vogue co-workers. Each has planned to raise $5,000 for the charity.Ms Turini, who is also the creator of online magazine Style Bermuda, only began running consistently in June. Back then three miles was a “huge accomplishment” for her, but through regular practice with Nike trainer Marie Purvis, the fashionista has now hit her stride and is running up to 20 miles.“I’ve never been extremely athletic; in fact in high school and college I actively avoided all things sports-related. As I got older I did begin to work out more consistently, but it was still torture for me,” she said.Before deciding to take part in the marathon she was running casually with friends a few mornings a week about two or three miles “with so many stops along the way”.She said she is surprised with what she has accomplished so far and imagines she will feel an even greater sense of pride when crossing the finish line in Central Park.“Training for a marathon is like having a second job. It’s a commitment that I have sacrificed a lot for over the past few months.“I am full of anticipation to see how it all plays out for me. Its sort of nice to get a taste of some sports anxiety. I guess this is what it must feel like before the Super Bowl.”Ms Turini said she wasn’t fully prepared for all the physical demands of a marathon race, but she’s never been afraid of a challenge.“I’ve also heard some marathon horror stories that are making me a bit uneasy. [This week] I went to the doctor for a checkup and he suggested I may have some nerve damage.“It doesn’t matter to me if I have to limp all 26 miles, as long as I can be back in my heels the next day.”People can donate to Friends of Hope, the charitable arm of Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, through its New York HSBC bank account number: 002-167625-012.Useful website: www.nycmarathon.org