Running and happiness

As we move further into the autumn months, my team and I are always thinking about ways to support wellbeing in our workplace - bringing to life what Damandeep Chugh calls 'our culture of care' at NewDay . I met?our colleague, Idelkys Quintana Ramirez, PhD , to hear why running makes her happy.

Idelkys is one of four NewDay colleagues taking part in the 2025 London marathon next April, raising vital funds for our community partner, Family Action . Smart, focused and passionate about everything she does, Idelkys is a Senior MLOps Engineer in our Platform team who has mentored young women through our partnership with Stemettes .

Idelkys, what inspired you to sign up for the London Marathon to support Family Action?

I’m Cuban by birth, with a Spanish dad: my love for sport began when we moved to Spain. When I moved to the UK in 2016 to start studying for a PhD, life became very busy and running took a bit of a back seat. I signed up to run the 2020 London Marathon, but of course, the global pandemic happened, and the race was postponed. So my marathon journey hasn’t been straightforward, as I’ve also dealt with running injuries along the way. I’ve had professional help to work on those and along the way, rediscovered my passion for running.

I’m motivated by friends and colleagues who hear me talking about how much I love to run, and also the amazing work that Family Action do. I’ve taken part in lots of Family Action campaigns during the past 4 years, because I feel very connected to the families they help. Growing up in Cuba, there were lots of restrictions and few possessions – I shared a few toys with my brother. I saw my parents struggle to give us a good life and as a result, believe that no one should live in poverty. As someone who has emigrated to the UK, I believe that everyone needs to feel included in society by affording basic things like electricity, gas and toys for their children.

How are you preparing for this huge physical and mental challenge?

Running for me is about challenging and pushing myself to achieve more. When I was a kid, I actually hated PE! I’m just a normal person who wants to run, so it has been mentally tough to overcome my running injuries. I found a brilliant running coach through my local parkrun. During the past 18 months, I’ve set some clear habits throughout my week. This includes 4 running sessions, 2 strength sessions and a rest day. On Saturdays, I focus on yoga and rehab, while Sunday is my distance running day. Nutrition is an important part of my overall plan: I need to eat the right foods for energy and to stay strong.

Tell us about your role at NewDay. What does your work in MLOps involve??

Back in 2020, I joined NewDay as a Platform Engineer in our Data Platform team in London. Through the years, I’ve assumed different roles. Recently, I was promoted to Senior MLOps Engineer.

MLOps is short for?Machine Learning Operations, a set of practices that aim to streamline and automate the process of deploying, managing, and monitoring machine learning models in production environments. It combines principles from machine learning, DevOps and data engineering. MLOps helps NewDay to manage the complexities of our machine learning projects to make sure that models can be deployed and maintained effectively for our customers and partners.

I’m encouraged to experiment with new technologies that are different and can really help us move forward as a business at lightning speed. For me, NewDay is a place where I’ve grown and become more confident. I can get grumpy sometimes, but I’m lucky to work with some very smart and nice people who make my worklife easier. No day is the same. There’s always a fun challenge ahead!

What advice would you give someone starting out at NewDay?

Enjoy the journey. NewDay has a different way of working. As engineers, we bring new and challenging ideas and want to transform things in a single day, so we can sometimes be frustrating to work with! You will have excellent colleagues who want to help you. Get to know other teams and build up your network.

Finally, how can your NewDay colleagues support you and others in the Marathon team?

Every time I say, “I don’t want to run because it’s dark”, please encourage me to keep going. Jools Arts , Ademola Olorunshola , Owen Cornock and I will ask for your help in the coming months. Please come along to our fundraisers, donate what you can and cheer us on!

Best of luck, Idelkys, Jools, Ade and Owen. I live close to the start line, so I promise I’ll come with my kids to cheer you on next April!