Pippa Middleton on her fitness challenge: 'Not for the faint-hearted'

We'll never be royals, but we can always be inspired by them. Take Pippa Middleton, Princess Kate's 32-year-old sister who is pushing the limits of her physical abilities by participating in marathons. In fact, Hello Magazine reported in July that the royal sister completed her first full marathon at the 42-kilometer course in Kenya as part of Tusk Trust's Safaricom Marathon.

"I decided that a marathon was a 'life box' that needed ticking and this year was my time—despite it being one of the toughest in the world, with temperatures rising to more than 30ºC, at an altitude of 5,550 feet and with the possibility of bumping into lions or rhinos," Middleton told Hello Magazine.

"I'd read stories about Tusk Trust's Safaricom Marathon and seen the pictures and felt that my debut simply had to be running through the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, through the raw beauty of the savannah plains and alongside the majestic animals," she explained.

Middleton finished the race in a little under four hours, landing the 30th place overall, among 200 competitors. She was also the first white woman to complete the full marathon, and is the seventh female placer overall.

Middleton recalled the marathon: "I was exhausted. My eyes welled up with tears. Could I really manage this? I turned right and thought of the schoolchildren, the rhinos, elephants and lions, the incredible Tusk projects—the reason I was doing this. It was tough—tougher than anything I’d been faced with before and required every inch of my energy, stamina and stubbornness."

Middleton isn't a stranger to charity, as she also teamed up with London-based fashion designer Tabitha Webb to create two pieces of clothing that would benefit the British Heart Foundation's London to Brighton Bike Race.

Middleton told US Magazine: "As an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation, I wanted to do something different and exciting on behalf of this inspiring charity."

It seems Middleton is unstoppable, as People reports that she will also be participating in the Otillo Swim-Run Championship in Sweden, a 47-mile race that involves swimming and running across 26 islands in the Swedish archipelago.

"I was taken by the idea of competing in the stunning surroundings. Otillo has an edge to it that stands out above other endurance races," said Middleton.

For this race, she will team up with her friend, Jons Bartholdson. She acknowledges the challenges they will face as she said, "I like to get into a rhythm when competing but covering 26 islands with around 50 transitions constantly breaks your rhythm."

For her, "It's not for the faint-hearted."

Nonetheless, Middleton is positive that she would be inspired by her surroundings to get through the race.

"The atmosphere, the combined feeling of nerves and excitement on the day, it's one of the best feelings," she said.