Madam Jenap Said’s reason for taking up running was a practical one: to keep healthy. The food-lover was being teased by her daughter for being hefty.

Today, Madam Jenap is an avid runner with more than 40 marathons to her name. She is most well-known for the costumes she wears at these runs, from Catwoman to Marilyn Monroe, Santarina and even Samsui Woman. For the seasoned runner, dressing up started as a challenge for herself: to win the “Best Dressed” category in a run. And win she did.

Since then, dressing up for runs, especially the annual Ribbon Run, has taken on another meaning for a cause close to her heart: to draw attention to the need to help give ex-offenders a second chance at life. Madam Jenap has participated in every Yellow Ribbon Run since 2009, and she has never run without a costume.

Besides participating in the runs, Madam Jenap actively volunteers at all the race pack entry collection events and fundraisers. The Yellow Ribbon Project Volunteer leader also undertook a personal overnight 12-hour run and personally raised some $12,000 for the event.

Her dedication to the Yellow Ribbon cause was inspired by her personal experience of seeing how her neighbour’s husband’s incarceration impacted the family. She helped the family through their struggles and came to the realisation that she could do more. Hence, she became a Yellow Ribbon Project volunteer.