16:38 Rachael Brown 23, Terene Stevens 41, Simon Purcell

Name
Rachael Brown
23, Terene
Stevens 41,
Simon Purcell-
Jackson 39,
Region
Derby
Story Charity 5/3/13 -
16:38
The three family members from Derby are taking on the formidable
challenge of running the Virgin London Marathon to help tackle loneliness
and isolation across generations. They will be one of many runners
pounding the route and raising funds for a life-changing project to be
launched by this year's joint official Marathon Charities, Age UK and
YouthNet. First time runner Rachael will be starting and completing the
26.2 miles challenge with Terene and Simon by her side. She said: "My
Nanna had a major stroke in June 2011, she is slowly recovering but still
needs 24 hour care, we didn't know who to turn to and Age UK provided us
with the support we needed so we could get the help Nanna deserved. It
Age UK &
has been a difficult year but Age UK has given us hope. We feel so
YouthNet
passionate about raising money for the charity so myself, my Aunty Terene
and my cousin's husband Simon have teamed up to complete the Virgin
London Marathon to give something back and support a charity that has
supported my Nanna. To raise funds we've already organised a Bollywood
Ball at a local restaurant which included an auction with prizes that local
businesses donated and with 120 people attending we raised £2000. I'm
so proud of what we've achieved already and can't wait for race day to
complete the challenge with my family supporting me."
1

Lisa Barnard,
39
Ipswich
First time runner Lisa said "My husband had run the Virgin London
Marathon before so I felt particularly inspired to take part in the 2013 race,
particularly as I'm going to turn 40 and it's a great way to remember it. But
what has really driven me to run the 26.2 mile challenge is my Nan who
passed away last year at the amazing year of 98. Although she had lots of
support from her family to enable her to stay independent, there are many
older people who are not as lucky and are feeling lonely and isolated, which
saddens me a lot. Old age comes to us all and I believe that older people
should be treated with dignity. I'm really passionate about raising money for
Age UK and YouthNet to help them with their vital work for those less
fortunate than my Nan."
Age UK &
YouthNet
Rusty Wright,
71, Jo Rodger,
43
Shipley, West
Yorkshire
Rusty and her daughter Jo will be running their first Virgin London
Marathon together, Rusty said: " My daughter's a regular runner and we've
been training together for the past few years. She's the one that really
inspired me to take up the sport. As I'm 72 this year I really wanted to be a
part of 'Team Run for It', Age UK and YouthNet's Marathon Team, to show
how important it is to stay active as you get older. I'm delighted to be
completing the event with my daughter beside me to show our support for
the cause together and I can't wait to share this special day with her. In the
lead up to the race we will train by completing many running events
including Age UK's Leeds Abbey Dash and we'll be raising lots of funds by
performing in my celeidh band and ukelele orchestra and with the support
of Jo's social club. We can't wait for race day."
Age UK &
YouthNet
2

Tom Harrison,
76
Reading
Tom, 76, who was recently awarded Reading Sports Personality’s ‘Helper
Loyalty Award’ said: “I started running Marathons in 2004 - I was getting
older and wanted to fundraise for charity that really resonated with that.
Staying active in older age is really important to me and I wanted to show
my support for a charity that does so much to make later life better for
vulnerable older people. This year I’m aiming to beat my average time of 4
Age UK &
hours and 26 minutes and the event will be one of a series of races which
YouthNet
will cover 77 miles to celebrate my 77th birthday in July so it’s going to be
one of my many challenges this year!”
Rachael Brown,
23, Terene
Stevens, 41,
and Simon
Purcell-
Jackson, 39,
Derby
First time marathon runner Rachael will be starting and completing the 26.2
mile challenge with Terene and Simon beside her. She said: “My Nanna
had a major stroke in June 2011, she is slowly recovering but still needs 24
hour care. We didn’t know who to turn to and Age UK provided us with the
support we needed so we could get the help Nanna deserved. It has been
a difficult year but Age UK has given us hope. “We feel so passionate
about raising money for the charity so myself, my Aunty Terene and my
cousin’s husband Simon have teamed up to complete the Virgin London
Marathon to give something back and support a charity that has supported
my Nanna. To raise funds we’ve already organised a Bollywood Ball at a
local restaurant which included an auction with prizes that local businesses
donated and with 120 people attending we raised £2,000. I’m so proud of
what we’ve achieved already and can’t wait for race day to complete the
challenge with my family to support me!”
Age UK &
YouthNet
3

Erik De Wit, 32
Blackheath
First time Virgin London Marathon runner, Erik De Wit, 32, from Blackheath
said: “I run a paddlel tennis sports club in Canary Wharf. It’s similar to
tennis and one of the few sports that is perfect for both younger and older
people, so I was really inspired by the idea of projects that would help
combat loneliness and isolation across generations. “I’ve run a couple of
half Marathons and a 30K and could already identify a big difference in
those distances so I think the Virgin London Marathon might take quite a bit
more preparation! From Christmas onwards a percentage of every court
seat we sell will go towards our fundraising target, so we would encourage
everyone to come and check out this brilliant sport and support Age UK
and YouthNet.”
Age UK &
YouthNet
Jack Whardale,
18
Hellesdon,
Norfolk
First time Virgin London Marathon runner, Jack Whardale, 18, from
Hellesdon, said: “I'm joining ‘Team Run for It’ because I think it’s so
important that we don’t lose touch with those who have more life
experience than the rest of us. I believe that this project will be beneficial for
both the youth and older people and I’d love to think that I could contribute
to bridging the gap between older people and technology. I’m passionate
about this project and want to raise as much money as I can. I also
recognise the importance of young people getting involved, both as
volunteers and through joining ‘Team Run for It”.
Age UK &
YouthNet
4

Freddie
Fitzgibbon, 20
Richmond
(home),
Leeds Uni
Freddie has recently turned 20 and his Mother (Susan) is in her 50’s.
Susan and her husband Gerald run a successful lettings company in South
West London and have another son who is still at school. 7 years ago,
Susan was diagnosed with Chordoma. This is a rare form of cancer that is
hard to diagnose as it is often confused with common back or neck pain.
There is no cure or effective treatment for chordoma and patients are
expected to live for about 10 years after their first diagnosis. Susan has
had numerous surgeries and has continued to work throughout this period
and is involved with the Richmond Chamber of Commerce as well as being
involved within their industry. Susan and Gerald discovered that there was
very little research taking place for Chordoma but were lucky in that they
were introduced to Professor Adrienne Flanagan, a leading researcher who
has made a very significant discovery into how to diagnose chordoma (and Adrienne's
thus separate it out from other cancers that occur near the spine). Adrienne Research
has even been around to have samples of Susan's cancer taken to use in
her research. Susan and Gerald decided that they wanted to raise funds for
research as without funding there is no hope for a cure or treatment of this
cancer and so they have set up a fund within my charity to raise money
exclusively for chordoma research. The admin costs were covered by
another donor so every penny raised is going to Adrienne's research.
Freddie is their eldest son, and a student at Leeds. He wanted to do
“something” to help raise money for the research and so volunteered to run
his first Marathon.
5

Catherine
Harrison, 36
Tuxford, Notts
Catherine is a GP, as well as caring for many patients with arthritis and
other musculoskeletal problems, Catherine also has strong personal links
to the condition. Her father suffers with arthritis of his knees and back and
her mother-in-law has severe osteoarthritis of her hands. Catherine
recently set up a running group for women in her local area and finds this a
huge support to her training. “As a GP, I am very aware of how arthritis
affects people, in some cases leading to suffering chronic daily pain,
depression, anxiety and mobility problems, and the challenges faced in
everyday life. Running the Marathon for Arthritis Research UK is my way of
contributing to the resources I and my patients use so regularly, and also
raising awareness in my local area of the charity and its work"
Arthritis
Research UK
Michelle
Hoffman
Benwick,
Cambs.
Michelle was just 15 when she was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis,
a form of arthritis which causes inflammation to the joints in the spine and
other areas of the body. When she first began to experience back pain at
the age of 13, doctors assumed that this was a result of a bowel condition
until a blood test several years later revealed that the cause was
Ankylosing Spondylitis. By the time she was 17, Michelle’s hips and back
had become extremely painful and inflamed and she struggled to walk.
She could not move her neck, often used a wheelchair and needed help
with almost every task. After being almost entirely bedridden for a year,
Michelle was prescribed a new treatment called Humira. Just three hours
later, Michelle was able to stand unaided for the first time in a year. Within
two weeks, she was able to walk again and is now completely pain-free.
Arthritis
Research UK
6

Tara Armstrong
(mum) and Gail
Clements-
Browne (friend)
Luton
Tara and friend Gail are running for Tara's son Finlay. Finlay was falling
asleep at nursery on a few occasions and a routine blood test in
September 2010 showing he had anaemia, Finlay was seen by a doctor
who thought his symptoms needed further investigation. After a few weeks,
Finlay was referred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for a bone marrow biopsy in
the October. At this point, we were told that he probably had a blood
infection since his symptoms were not typical of leukaemia.
Understandably, we were completely shocked and devastated to hear the
results confirming Finlay had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). He was
3½, and post blood transfusion, looked like any other little boy his age,
running around and playing happily. Finlay was immediately transferred to
Addenbrooke’s Hospital where he began treatment. 28 days into treatment
when tests came back showing that Finlay was at ‘high risk’ of relapse if he
continued with standard treatment. We had to make a massive decision
concerning Finlay’s treatment. After lots of soul searching we decided to
put him forward for a clinical trial, on which he received a tougher, more
toxic course of drugs. Looking back now, we believe we’ve given him the
best chance ever of beating his blood cancer.
Beating Blood
Cancers
Gavin Garland Cambridge Gavin first became unwell when he was 15 years old, with difficulty
breathing, lethargy, rapid weight loss and loss of appetite, intensely painful
headaches and a burning sensation on his cheeks which eventually led to
loss of nervous sensation over most of his face. Initially doctors thought he
had a benign nasal passage tumour but secondary tumours began to
develop on his neck, eventually obstructing the airway which caused Gavin
to stop breathing. Six months later, Gavin was eventually diagnosed with B-
cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and began intensive chemotherapy at
Birmingham Children’s Hospital, followed by a stem cell transplant.
Fortunately he made a good recovery and returned to school to complete
his GCSEs and A Levels, going on to gain a place at Durham University to
study cell biology, and then Cambridge University to study for a research
PhD.
Beating Blood
Cancers
7

Nicki & Stuart
Brown, 34
Cheshire,
East London
Stuart had been experiencing a persistent stomach ache after returning
from holiday, but dismissed it as a stomach bug. The pain became
unbearable over the next few months and a visit to doctors resulted in tests
for a stomach infection. Stuart consulted another doctor who referred him
for an endoscopy. Stuart says: “I remember when I came round I asked the
doctor what they'd found and he said he wanted to wait for the results first,
which I thought at the time was suspicious. I had 'the call' a few weeks later
asking me to come in for a chat. When I arrived the doctor and a nurse
took me to a private room: clearly not a good sign. He talked me through
what they'd found but I struggled to take any of it in.” Stuart was diagnosed
with non-Hodgkin lymphoma two weeks before his wedding to Claire.
Beating Blood
Cancers
Matina Zoulia,
33
Kent
Ray Johnson,
75 Faversham,
Kent
Matina was working as head of sales at a publishing company, working
long hours that left her tired but she really loved her job so didn't mind. She
got pregnant with her first child and gave birth to a lovely little boy in the
November of 2010. She found herself exhausted but put it down to having
a new born a baby. “In July 2011 I noticed a lump on my breast. I didn't
think too much about it, but my husband kept urging me to go to my GP to
check it out. I don’t like to go to the GP for small worries as I didn’t think it
was anything serious, but reluctantly I went. The GP was reassuring but did
book me for an urgent appointment at the Breast clinic at University
College Hospital in London. After the obligatory checks, the consultant
informed me that the lumps were cancerous, and he suspected it was
either breast cancer or lymphoma.
Ray is described as ‘Faversham’s fittest pensioner’. He is running for us in
memory of mum who died of bowel cancer in 1977. He will be 6 months
older than she was when she died when he runs the Marathon.
Beating Blood
Cancers
Beating Bowel
Cancer
8

Kathryn Tooth
38
Wimbledon,
London
Kathryn's mother died of bowel cancer in 1998 when she was 54. In 2010,
Kathryn’s dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer and went through surgery
and chemotherapy to get the all clear on his 70th birthday. Last year, her
Dad’s cancer came back and the family had a lovely summer together,
attending the Olympics where Kathryn decided she wanted to run the
Marathon and her father agreed to cheer her on. Sadly in September he
lost his fight, so Kathryn will be running in memory of both parents.
Beating Bowel
Cancer
Patricia
Harding, 41
South
Woodford
Patricia, 41, lost one of her brothers to bowel cancer 7 years ago – he was
in his 40s and didn’t have any typical symptoms. Following his death, her
other brother was tested and was found to have bowel cancer. Patricia and
her sister both got tested and were found to have polyps (abnormal Beating Bowel
growths that can turn cancerous) which were removed. Her brother is doing Cancer
well now and she is keen to raise awareness that if you get diagnosed
early, bowel cancer is treatable.
Alex, 49
Alex's mother and aunt were diagnosed with bowel cancer around the
same time late 2010/early 2011. Her mum died within 6 weeks of
diagnosis, but her aunt survived. None of the family were aware of the
symptoms before they were diagnosed – they would like to raise
awareness of the condition.
Beating Bowel
Cancer
9

Jan Lewis &
Mary Purcell
Douglas, Isle
of Man
Jan, who was born with Spina Bifida Occulta but has no long term health
issues, is running the Virgin London Marathon. Her daughter Hope Anna
was born by emergency C section at 26 weeks, weighing 1030g. She was
ventilated straight away and given lots of antibiotics, TPN and two blood
transfusions. At four days old she was flown by air ambulance to Liverpool
Women's Hospital due to a suspected heart murmur. Her progress
improved and after about three weeks the family were transferred back to
Alder Hey Children's Hospital as she had Pyloric Stenosis. She is now a
happy little two year old. Jan will be running with her mum Mary Purcell.
Mary is a double Olympian and previous winner of the Dublin
Marathon. Mary is running for Spinal Research.
BLISS
Frank Bonney,
70
Birmingham
Frank came to Birmingham from Ireland in 1962 and in 1984 he moved to
Kidderminster shortly after the birth of his daughter Katie. Three years ago
he moved back to Northfield in Birmingham where he lives with his new
partner Maureen. His daughter still lives in Worcester where Frank worked
for some 15 years. Frank is running the Marathon for a second time for
Bliss after his daughter Katie gave birth to twin girls in July 2009. Kate went
into labour with Isobel first but sadly passed away. Molly amazingly held on
for another week inside Kate before being born. She was born at 23+5
weeks gestation. She weighed 1lb 4oz. Thanks to the excellent medical
care, the love and devotion of her parents and the support of Bliss, Molly is
now a beautiful, bouncy three year old girl who loves to sing and dance.
BLISS
10

Kim Hazelton
Cornwall
Kim is running in memory of her son Jack and to celebrate the strength of
her daughter Willow, twins born at just 24 weeks. Jack who was born
weighing 675g sadly died after a month but Willow who was born at 710g
spent nearly four months in neonatal care and grows stronger every day.
She will shortly be celebrating her first birthday. Kim who has brought
Willow up as a single mum said: 'The info I received from Bliss and the
website has been amazing. I have family support but unless you have been BLISS
there you never really understand. That is why I want to give something
back to Bliss by running the Virgin London Marathon for them.'
Michael Avery
Belvedere
Michael decided to run the Virgin London Marathon for Bliss because his
son Harris was born seven weeks premature, needing to spend 19 days in
special care as he couldn't regulate his temperature and had to be fed by a
tube. Harris recovered and is now a happy and healthy 15 month year old.
BLISS
Jon Ley
Jon is running after his son Jack Michael Ley suffered complications at
birth despite being born at term. Jack had to be resuscitated and suffered
persistent pulmonary hyper-tension. Jack had a hole in his diaphragm and
some of his abdominal organs, including his stomach. Intestines had
pushed through the hole and started to grow in the left of his chest cavity
which therefore meant his left lung was unable to grow properly. Doctors
stabilised him after two weeks, eventually he was discharged but then Jack
went on to have a further two major operations, one was at Birmingham
Children’s Hospital. He is now over a year old and recovering well.
BLISS
11

Julie Ebrey
Stoke on
Trent
Julie decided to run London marathon for Bliss after having her son Marc at
24 weeks. She has given herself the extra challenge of attempting to raise
£24,000 to represent the number of weeks her son Marc was born at. Julie
and her husband, who is also called Marc, experienced three miscarriages
before being advised to have IVF. To their surprise they ended up getting
pregnant with twins. Sadly Jack died shortly after birth, but Marc who is now
eight years old, and although slightly small for his age, is doing extremely
well.
BLISS
Graham Coles,
44
Swanley, Kent
Graham’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. She went
through treatment over the following months and at a party for New Year
the family celebrated the fact that her blood tests had been given the all
clear. It was a celebration like no other year. Then, in March 2006 following
severe migraines, it emerged that the cancer had spread to her brain, she
sadly died five days later. Graham, who is approaching his 26th year in the Breast
London Fire Service, said: “The hollow sense of being which hits you at that Cancer
moment never quite leaves you. That is why Breast Cancer Campaign Campaign
means so much to me. I couldn’t be more honoured to run for a charity so
close to my heart, finding out I had a place was a highly emotional
moment.”
12

Sarah Oakley,
38
Dudley, West
Midlands
Sarah regularly checks her breasts for lumps. She was getting ready for a
night out when she noticed a tender area in her left breast and then found a
lump. She left it for a few days hoping that it would go away but it did not.
After a visit to her GP, Sarah was referred to a specialist at her local
hospital and she was recommend to have a mammogram and an ultra
sound. When the day of her results arrived Sarah was physically sick from
worry. However, she was told that she did not have breast cancer and that
the lump was harmless. Sarah said: “The relief that I felt just could not put
into words. I was so grateful that all was ok and it was harmless. I then
thought about those other women that were in the waiting room and just
hoped that their outcome would be as happy as mine.”
Breast
Cancer
Campaign
Esther Martin,
37
Esther was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2011. She has two sons,
Oliver and Leo, who were 3 months and 8 years old when she was
diagnosed. Unfortunately Esther was wrongly diagnosed by 3 different
medical professionals. She found the lump at the end of her pregnancy so
they thought it was a blocked milk duct. Eventually Esther did start her
treatment and had chemotherapy followed by a mastectomy in January
2012 and reconstruction in October 2012.
Breast
Cancer Care
13

Robert McHarg,
47,
Scotland
Just five months after Robert completed the London Marathon in 2011 his
wife was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, for which there is no
cure. She was just 42 years old. Robert’s children have all been fundraising
over the last year and so running the London Marathon is his way of
helping. Robert says: “My wife is an inspiration and I want to show her that
anything is possible, even her 46 year old, overweight husband getting
back on the road and completing another Marathon while raising as much
money as possible for a cause which is very close to our hearts."
Breast
Cancer Care
Wayne
Littlewood, 30
Coventry
Wayne is running the London Marathon for Breast Cancer Care after his
mum passed away in April 2012, she was first diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2007. Wayne has always been very athletic and was a semi
professional footballer when he was younger. In recent years Wayne had
begun weight lifting and body building. Consequently the Marathon training
has had a dramatic effect on his body and he lost 3 ½ stone within the first
six weeks of training!
Breast
Cancer Care
14

Jenny Chilton,
25,
Hertfordshire
Jenny’s mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She underwent
surgery and treatment straight away and suddenly had to come to terms
with not only how her body had changed but emotionally adapt too. Jenny
says: “Breast Cancer Care and their local support groups have been
amazing for my mum. Every time she attends she has been full of
information and understanding that helps her cope and recover. The
information available not only to my Mum but also to me and my family has
been a tower of strength and has enabled me to support my mum and my
three sisters.” Jenny ran the London Marathon for the first time in 2012 and
says: “I will never forget seeing my mum cheering me in the crowd with
tears in her eyes. I know that was why I was there, I was running the
Marathon for her and for others affected by breast cancer.”
Breast
Cancer Care
Lisa Elliot, 31,
London
Lisa’s best friend Francesca was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 29
and later developed secondary cancer in her lungs, for which there is no
cure. Unfortunately Francesca’s condition has deteriorated recently.
Breast
Cancer Care
15

Paul Cook
When Paul completes the VLM this will be the last of 5 Marathons and 4
half marathons that he has ran on behalf of his friend who has Hodgkins
Lymphoma.
Doncaster
Cancer
Research
Adrian Stohr,
37
Redhill,
Surrey
In May 2011 Adrian's father died of multiple organ failure due to diabetes
and obesity at the age of 58. Adrian had only been back in touch which his
father for 5 years after not speaking for over 18 years. At the time Adrian
was over 24 stone. After the funeral Adrian decided he needed to turn his
life around, otherwise he would follow in his fathers, and indeed
grandfathers, footsteps and die prematurely. His Dr told him the
devastating news that if he didn't loose weight he'd be diabetic within
months and was at high risk of a heart attack or a stroke. Adrian swapped
burgers for salads and lost a staggering 8 stone in one single year. He's
now 8 and a half stone lighter. He wants other obese people to know it can
be done and although he still has a few more stone to go, is fitter and
healthier then he's been for years and is looking forward to running the
VLM.
Children With
Cancer
16

Allan Boyle, 41
Alloa,
Scotland
In August 2011 Allan Boyle was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After
surviving cancer Allan decided it was time to get fit and healthy and started
running. This became all the more important when Allan discovered he
was about to become a father (he also has a 15 year old step son). In
2012 Allan lost a staggering 7 and a half stone. His son Rhys is now 5
months old. Allan is a stay at home father and this will be his first marathon
(see images attached). Previous health conditions also include a broken
pelvis in a car accident, as a result Allan has plates and pins in his pelvis.
Children With
Cancer
Natalie Vacher,
37
Redhill,
Surrey
Natalie has planned to run the VLM before, twice in fact, but Natalie suffers
from acute osteoporosis and for the past 2 years has broken bones from
training for the marathon. This year she is keeping her fingers crossed to
hopefully make it across the finish line in memory of her father who lost his
life suddenly last year.
Children With
Cancer
17

Zoe Spain, 29
Egham,
surrey
After months of painful neck after a fall from her horse, Zoe visited her Dr to
ask if she could get some physiotherapy. Her Dr was only to happy to
oblige and sent her for an assessment. Following a straight forward
assessment and on her way out, Zoe happened to mention that when she
poked her tongue out, it was at a 90 degree angle. The therapist decided to
run some more tests and a large tumour was discovered at the top of Zoe's
spine, underneath her brain, a condition called Chordoma, where part of
Zoe's spinal cord didn't fuse in stero and had been slowly growing. No one
could tell Zoe whether she would live or die, the condition is so rare, there
are only 300 cases each year worldwide. After two major operations, where
they had to spilt Zoe's face in half to access and remove the tumour and 7
weeks of radio therapy in May 2012, she is fighting fit and preparing to run
her first marathon.
Children With
Cancer
Zaim Beekawa
Zaim is 19 years old, and last Christmas he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's
Lymphoma and had to undergo 6 cycles of chemotherapy which lasted 6
months. His treatment started in January 2012 and ended in June 2012.
Being around the hospital and being supported by Clic Sargent through the
treatment, he felt like he wanted to support the cause in any way he could,
and in a sense give back the help he received so that others can also
receive the tremendous support that he had. The Marathon will be 10
months after his treatment finished.
Clic Sargent
18

Charlotte Cox,
18
Hutton
SCHOOLGIRL, Charlotte Cox, from Hutton who battled cancer at the age
of 12 is running the London Marathon to support other children with the
disease. Charlotte Cox was settling in with new friends at St Martin's
School when her life was dramatically turned upside down. Now aged 18,
studying for her A levels and fighting fit, the aspiring photographer recalled
the terrifying moment when she learned she was ill. "I remember sitting in
the waiting room at the hospital with children who were crying their eyes out
and they had no idea what was going on – it's very hard." With no
experience as a runner, Miss Cox happened to spot that applications were
open for the race while she was surfing the internet in May last year.
Clic Sargent
Rory O’Shea,
22
Rory had the bitter sweet experience of becoming a father for the first time
and being diagnosed with hodgkins stage 3 lymphoma within the same
fortnight. son Riley had He had to manage going for a biopsy to remove a
cancerous lymph node in his neck between spending every day at the
hospital visiting his new son, Riley who was in the special baby care unit
for 8 days. After 6 months he had put on almost 4 stone due
to medication and lost 20% of his lung function due to bleomycin which was
omitted from his chemotherapy drugs after 4 months. Rory is now 22 and
has been in remission for almost 3 years. His partner has just had another
baby and this time it is nice to not have the burden of cancer hanging over
his head.
Clic Sargent
19

Michelle Bray
Falmouth,
Cornwall
Michelle signed up to run the London Marathon in aid of a children’s cancer
charity, unaware that her own daughter was about to be diagnosed with a
tumour. Michelle was accepted to run the marathon on behalf of CLIC
Sargent in January just a week later it was revealed that her 17-year-old
daughter, Sasha, had cancer of the liver. Despite the trauma the family are
going through, it was decided Michelle should still go ahead with the
marathon. “We felt after a while it would still be a good thing to do,
considering the circumstances. Sasha’s courage through this has given
me the determination to do it. It gives the family as a whole a different goal.
It is giving us the determination to raise as much as we can for CLIC
Sargent.”
Clic Sargent
Alex Barton, 20
Chesham,
Buckingham
shire
Alex Barton was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in, July
2010 and will be running the VLM for CLIC Sargent. The charity provided
him and his family with financial and emotional from the point of diagnosis
and throughout treatment. “ It didn't hit me for ages that I had cancer as I
thought I would just have chemo a few times then the doctors would say
that I was clear. I think it hit my mum and dad the worst as they felt helpless
and couldn't do anything really to make me better. I just had one goal in my
head that I would play rugby again and I did that in less than a year of
being diagnosed .”
Clic Sargent
20

Duncan Rose,
34
Sadie Mulvey,
33
Exeter, Devon
Last year Duncan's one year old Harrison caught croup after a family
holiday. He was in and out of hospital for a few days on a mixture of
steroids and oxygen before the doctors realised he just wasn't recovering
and was actually becoming much weaker. They were informed that he
would be intubated and transferred to St Mary's hospital in London. In total
they spent the next 12 days at St Mary's. Harrison was intubated for 10
days in total and over that time there wasn't a single minute that he wasn't
being observed. This was a very traumatic time for the family and
especially as Duncan and his wife had to spend so much time away from
their four year old daughter who was becoming a little distressed by the
situation. But Harrison did improve and this is why Duncan is running for
the charity Cosmic.
Sadie has cystic fibrosis and will turn 34 on the day of the London
Marathon. Sadie said: “I was diagnosed with CF at the age of four. My
younger sister, brother and cousin also have CF and the latter, Neil, is on
the transplant list waiting for a life-saving double lung transplant. After long
periods of illness as a child, I found exercise turned my health around. I will
be 34 on the day of the Virgin London Marathon and if anyone had told me
in my early days that I would be able to contemplate this sort of distance, I
would have told them they had the wrong girl!”
Cosmic
Cystic
Fibrosis Trust
21

Gillian Beech,
34
Chorley,
Lancs.
Gillian is mum to Brandon who has Cystic Fibrosis. She works at Morrison's
on the checkout. She said : “I’m doing this for my son and to help support
the CF Trust. Brandon has always wanted to go to London and loved
watching the Marathon on TV, he said “you should do that mum and I can
come and watch you” so I am doing it for him!” We have done various
charity events over the years and raised money for the CF trust but this
event is my biggest personal challenge. We have times when Brandon
gets very ill and is admitted to hospital and sometimes our life seems a
daily battle. Despite this Brandon is amazing and never moans about
anything, his attitude is what keeps us going through the hard times. He
was jumping around the room when I got my place in the Marathon and I
can’t wait to see his face when I cross the finish line.”
Cystic
Fibrosis Trust
Ed Nash- Steer,
31
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire man Edward Nash-Steer will take on a huge challenge in
April when he runs five Marathons in five days finishing with the Virgin
London Marathon. Recruitment consultant Edward is running a total of 130
miles for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust because his four year old niece has
cystic fibrosis. He will run from his niece’s home in Porton, Wiltshire to
London in four days before taking part in the main event on Sunday 21st
April 2013.
Cystic
Fibrosis Trust
22

Howard Foale
Holt, Norfolk
Howard is running the 26.2 mile race on Sunday 21 April 2013 for Team CF
because his wife Louise has cystic fibrosis. Howard said “My lovely wife
Louise is 45, which is considered to be quite old for someone with CF.
Those with the condition have a huge daily treatment burden every day and
only half will live past their 41 st birthday. Sadly we lost Louise’s sister to CF
six years ago and as Louise gets older she does get poorlier so it is hugely
important that we keep raising money to fund research into new
treatments. I love my wife very much, she is a wonderful, vibrant person
and I want to do all I can to support her. I’m hoping to cross the line in
under 6 hours and my fundraising target is £2500. If I can inspire even one
person to join me and fundraise for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust I’ll be thrilled.”
Cystic
Fibrosis Trust
Andy O'Hanlon
23 year old Fran is an intelligent and creative young woman, who suffers
from a rare degenerative disorder affecting her brain and nervous system,
resulting in loss of speech and movement and drastically shortening life
expectancy. Epic Arts has been on an exciting journey with her over the
past 3 years, helping her to create a beautifully illustrated book called
‘Fran’s Voyage’, designed to help us to think about life from a disabled
person's point of view. Fran has shown huge strength of will and talent to
create this beautiful book, and her story is an inspiration to us all. But the
book is just the start of 'Fran’s Voyage'. Now that it has been completed,
Fran wants her book to be used as an advocacy tool in schools, using
interactive, digital and accessible means of engaging children in a different
kind of world. They need £2,000 to develop an interactive tool based on the
book, and to pilot school workshops. These workshops will: inspire children
and young people to overcome adversity to achieve spectacular results,
promote creative and imaginative thinking and empathy, enable children
and young people to see inside Fran’s world, challenging preconceptions
about disability.
Epic Arts
23

Darren Smith
6 months ago Darren and Simone's beautiful son Isaac passed away at the
age of 5 days in the Evelina Children's Hospital at St Thomas'. They
described him as their miracle as he was the result of IVF. Even after this
tragedy the couple were so pleased with the treatment their son received at
the Evelina, Darren decided to run the Marathon - to say thank you to the
staff at the hospital.
Evelina
Children's
Hospital
Naomi Amor
Naomi's training schedule for the London Marathon started on Christmas
Day 2012 with a 6m run. She's training five days a week up until the big
day and doing a mixture of intervals, steady medium distance runs, and
slower long runs. Her longest training run will be 21 miles. Overall she has
covered 246 miles so far.
Friends of the
Elderly
Lucy and Clio
Byrom
Mother Lucy and daughter Clio Byrom are keeping it in the family and
embarking on the Virgin London Marathon challenge together. They are
doing it for one important person, Lucy’s daughter and elder sister to Clio.
Clio suffers from a very rare variant of Juvenile Alexander’s Disease. Lucy
says “It has had a ghastly effect on our lives and I would do anything to Genetic
help boost any research possible.”
Disorders UK
24

Patrick
Twitchen
Genetic Disorders UK is a charity close to Patrick’s heart as a friend's child
(Livia Savva, aged 4) suffers from a genetic disorder. Lissencephaly is a
neurological defect that affects development and causes seizures. Patrick
found out about Genetic Disorders UK through his wife Claire who works at
a nursery and takes part in the annual fundraising campaign Jeans for
Genes Day which is organised by the small team at Genetic Disorders UK.
Genetic
Disorders UK
Ella Post
Joining her sister on the challenge of a lifetime, the Virgin London
Marathon, Ella is using her endurance to support her cousin’s son, Zac,
who has been diagnosed with Infantile Batten’s. This genetic condition is
extremely rare with only one other case in the UK. Over time, affected
children suffer mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive
loss of sight, speech and motor skills. Batten Disease is a life threatening
disease; life expectancy varies depending on the type or variation. “It has
been an almighty shock and my whole family have really pulled together to
support each other and try and help with the whole prospect of dealing with
Zac’s condition and the potential of other siblings inheriting the same
condition’
Genetic
Disorders UK
Kieran Maher
Kieran Maher has raised over £3000 for Genetic Disorders UK over the
past 3 years and continues to show his dedication and support to the
charity. Kieran’s son Finn has a currently undiagnosed genetic disorder
which like many families in the UK can be an unsettling time for children
and parents alike, leaving them feeling isolated and more crucially unable
to move forward with treatment and care.
Genetic
Disorders UK
25

Theo Gelernter
When Theo was 8 years old, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's
Lymphomia, and was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital where he
underwent 6 months of chemotherapy, interspersed with treatment at
Northwick Park Hospital to treat intermediate infections. This was an
incredibly harrowing and terrible time for Theo and GOSH were incredible.
They not only saved his life but helped him every step of the way with their
extraordinary care and humour and dedication. Theo has fully recovered
and although he will never be "cured" he is now an incredibly fit, healthy
and robust young man - and now he has turned 18, he is running the
Marathon for GOSH, to add his personal thanks for everything they gave
him. The Marathon marks exactly the 10th anniversary of his release from
hospital .
Great
Ormond
Street
Hospital
26

Yvonne
Lennard
Back in June 2005, Yvonne's best friend Sarah’s husband Colin had a fall
and banged his head. Feeling OK, he went off to bed that night. The next
morning she was unable to wake him. He was rushed to hospital and given
a brain scan. It then became apparent that he had suffered a massive
brain haemorrhage. He spent 6 weeks in a coma and Sarah was told on so
many occasions that he would not survive. If he did survive he would
probably never walk and talk let alone know who she was. He did survive
and it was a long hard slog. At the age of 26 when they had been married
for a year and planning a family, their lives changed forever and Sarah
became Colin’s carer. This is when Headway came along and helped both
of them. Whilst Colin was getting so much medical support, Sarah was
crumbling and trying to work out how to juggle a job to provide for them and
be a carer. They helped her realise that some things have to give. When
her world crumbled down, Headway helped her build it back up again.
Seven years on and Colin has mobility problems, memory problems,
severe epilepsy and their dream of having a family is no more. Without
Headway, Sarah believes she would have become a crumpled mess who
wouldn't know what to do from one day to the next. Sarah and Colin, as a
couple, can never thank them enough. Sarah can call them any time and
speak to someone who knows what she’s feeling and they help her
through. When Colin's very poorly, they advise on the best way to support
him. Their centres are amazing but rely on public support.
Headway
27

LISA RYE, 42
Lisa is the Manager of the Charity, Headway West Kent. During
preparations for celebrating 25 years of the service to those in the West
Kent Lisa felt it fitting to put herself forward for the marathon during this
special year. Lisa has always been keen on keeping fit but has never been
a runner. This will be her first marathon.
Tonbridge,
Kent
Headway
West Kent
Chris Wheeler Chris has worked in various Michelin-Star restaurants and in 2005, Jean -
Christophe Novelli invited Chris to appear with him on TV's Hell's Kitchen.
Chris will be running in full Chefs gear carrying a stockpot.
Help a Capital
Child
Kat Mackenzie,
32
The unexpected death of much loved Teeside skateboarder Steve 'Bingo'
Binks has prompted one of his friends Kat to run in her first marathon.
Bingo, who ran the skateboarding store Mischief in Stockton, Teeside, died
from a heart attack in 2011 aged just 35. She's also having an Ebay
auction of limited edition and rare skateboarding items including
autographed shoes, boards and art to raise further funds for Heart
Research UK.
Heart
Research UK
28

Paul Langford,
31
Portsmouth
Paul, who lives in Southsea, is running after he witnessed family members
suffering from heart related illnesses - and an old school friend who had
heart procedures at the young age of 30. Both Paul and his wife have had
relatives who have thankfully recovered from heart attacks. Paul said "It is
important to give something back to a charity that invests heavily into
encouraging and supporting healthy lifestyle initiatives and explore ways of
preventing heart disease."
Heart
Research UK
Thom Sheehan
Bromley, Kent
Whilst Thom was growing up, he was a youth volunteer (Cadet) for the St
John Ambulance (1998-2005). Nearly every year he would go to the
London Marathon as a volunteer first aider with the St John Ambulance
and provide basic first aid. Thom found the whole experience and
atmosphere of the London Marathon inspiring and exciting - making the
decision as a teenager that one day he would run the London Marathon.
Thom had a fairly amateur interest in running as a member of his
secondary school running club and continued running, keeping fit with a
gym membership. When he received his 'Accepted' magazine he was over
the moon. Excited by this opportunity he began his training early and
competed in the Jane Tomlinson's Run For All Leeds 10K in July 2012.
Then a few weeks ago on the evening of Monday 24th September 2012,
Thom was admitted to hospital via A&E with severe abdominal pains. He
was diagnosed with appendicitis and operated on the next day and was off
work recovering for a period of 5 weeks. On Thursday 27th September he
returned home to find his London Marathon Acceptance. His Aunt has
been diagnosed with oesophageal and stomach cancer and is currently
going through 8 rounds of chemotherapy before being reassessed. As a
result of this he has decided to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support
and Cancer Research UK.
Macmillan
Cancer
Support,
Cancer
Research UK
29

Martyn
Haydney, 44
Camborne,
Cambs.
When Martin's daughter, Charlina was 8 months old doctors diagnosed her
with Microcephaly and Cerebellum Hypoplasia, which means she has a
small head and an under developed brain. This has had a huge impact on
her life, and the family, as it means Charlina has severe development
delay, cannot talk or walk and is totally reliant for help with all her personal
care and needs. She also suffers from Cerebral Palsy and has a genetic
condition, Cask Mutation, that at the time of diagnosis was so rare she was
the only 7th person to be diagnosed worldwide.
Make-A-Wish
Tony Frobisher,
44
Worchester,
West
Midlands
My wife Rini (who is Indonesian) and I had our daughters in 2006 after
trying unsuccessfully to have children for 7 years. We were successful with
the first cycle of IVF and my wife became pregnant with triplets. In April
2006, Rini had our three girls, Jewel, Louisa and Milla in Liverpool. She had
been transferred to Liverpool Women's Hospital from Worcester where we
live, due to the triplets extreme prematurity. They were born at 24 weeks.
Jewel sadly passed away after a couple of weeks. Louisa and Milla fought
and survived against the odds, countless setbacks, eye operations, a heart
operation, seizures and many other serious setbacks. They were in
Liverpool for 5 months before being strong enough to be transferred home
to Worcester. After a further month they came home, both still on oxygen. It
became apparent that Louisa was doing better than Milla. Eventually, Milla
was diagnosed with severe spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy,
compounded by severe global development delay, gastric reflux and
asthma. Louisa was confirmed as being blind in her left eye and partially
sighted in her right; as a result of retinopathy of prematurity and two
operations to save her eyesight in Liverpool. Milla's cerebral palsy has left
her wheelchair bound, unable to walk, talk, sit or be fed normally. She has
a gastrostomy (stomach tube) and receives all her nutrition / medicines via
the tube. Her condition is very challenging, including very disturbed sleep
patterns.
Make-A-Wish
30

Emma Williams
Surrey
I am not only running the London Marathon but I am also running the
Brighton Marathon the week before – after doing my first Marathon last
year and really enjoying it. Great sense of achievement. My son Matthew
is profoundly disabled but he is the inspiration behind everything I do and
that is why my running shirt has a big photo of him on the back – he can’t
run himself as he is in a wheelchair – so I will do it for him and I carry him
with me everywhere I go.
Matthew's
Friends
Steve Hodson-
Mackey
Steve is running in memory of Michael Balfour, the son of his fathers best
friend who died of meningitis age 15. His faster is also running, age 68, in
his 20th Marathon
Meningitis
Trust
Lee Ransome,
27
Ipswich,
Suffolk
Endurance cyclist Lee will swap pedal power for running shoes when he
takes on the London Marathon in memory of his best friend’s baby son who
died of meningitis. Taylor Westley-Smith was just nine months old when he
died of meningitis – just hours after showing any signs he was ill. Lee, who
works with Taylor’s dad Mark Smith at Allport Cargo Services, has
supported the charity since the tot’s death in March 2009. He has already
raised hundreds of pounds when he cycled from Ipswich to Edinburgh –
covering 426 miles in four days.
Meningitis UK
Andy Blizard,29
Warrington,
Cheshire
Policeman Andy will pay tribute to his wife when he runs in memory of her
son who died of meningitis. He will be spurred on by wife Kelly-Ann, 33,
whose son Daniel died of the disease in 1996. Andy has ditched the chips
and burgers in favour of a more healthy diet as he is determined not to let
anyone down.
Meningitis UK
31

Beth Green, 36
Mum-of-four Beth Green is feeling the pain and injuries after the first few
runs – but is determined to finish the legendary London run in memory of
tot Amelie Clipson-Smith, her best friend's daughter. Amelie fell ill and was
rushed to hospital in Bordeaux, France, where her family was living whilst
dad Kevin Smith worked there as an aeronautical engineer. Sadly, due to
the rapid speed the disease took hold, doctors were unable to save her
and she passed away on November 1, 2008. Her organs were donated
and helped save three children’s lives. Beth felt “compelled to do
something” to remember Amelie as well as “raise vital funds for a charity
close to my friend’s heart”.
Meningitis UK
Steve
Bloomfield, 53
Felixstowe,
Suffolk
Cricketer Steve is running in memory of his best friends baby, Taylor
Westley-Smith who died of the disease at just nine months old. Steve, 53,
who plays cricket with Taylor’s dad Mark Smith, decided he would set
himself an ambitious target to support his friend – lose weight, get fit and
run the London Marathon. The stock controller, who has four children and
four stepchildren aged from 13 to 22, has already lost a stone after
embarking on a healthy eating plan.
Meningitis UK
32

Mark Maddox
Mark suffers with Motor Neurone Disease and will be running the Virgin
London Marathon, Please see his blog for more details
www.markmaddox.co.uk
Motor
Neurone
Disease
John Reynolds,
51
Radstock,
Somerset
In 2004, the after-effects of radiotherapy had left John Reynolds struggling
to walk even the shortest of distances, but his unyielding determination and
the support of friends and family meant that within a few months, John had
completed his first half marathon. In the 9 years since then, he has run
over 22 half marathons, four marathons, 24 ultra-marathons and six
extreme marathons. Last year, he broke the Guinness World Record for
the longest distance in under 7 days when he ran an incredible 425 miles in
6 days and 3 hours. He will run the Bath Half immediately after running two
full marathons through the night, a total of 70 miles, and after the Virgin
London Marathon will carry on running for two more days, until he reaches
our Somerset offices, where supporters will gather to welcome him home.
National
Osteoporosis
Society
33

Kate Lewin,
Ruth Holmes,
27
London
Kate Lewin was diagnosed with osteoporosis in her spine in 2012, as a
result of celiac disease. It came as a huge shock for her, but together with
her best friend Ruth Holmes, they will run the 2013 Virgin London Marathon
to fundraise for the National Osteoporosis Society.
Kate has run the marathon before for other charities, but this is the first
time that she has run for a cause that directly affects her. Ruth is a
physiotherapist so understands the implications of osteoporosis.
National
Osteoporosis
Society
Nick
Emmerson, 21
Chattisham,
Suffolk
Nick’s grandmother died of myeloma which caused osteoporosis.
Vertebral fractures caused her to lose several inches in height before she
died, and as Nick turns 21 on marathon day (obviously the 21 st April!) he
wants to use the occasion to raise awareness of osteoporosis, and funds
for the charity.
National
Osteoporosis
Society
34

Chloe Newland,
21
Hertfordshire
Chloe’s grandmother lived with arthritis from the age of 50 and later in life,
was diagnosed with osteoporosis until her early death, when she was only
72. She partly raised Chloe, and was a huge influence on her outlook to
life. Chloe knows the devastating impact that osteoporosis had on her
grandmother’s quality of life and how she thought there was little anyone
could do to help. As marathon day is on the 21st, Chloe is 21, and her
grandmother had osteoporosis for 21 years, Chloe is pledging to run a
marathon every year for 21 years.
National
Osteoporosis
Society
Donna Lee, 38
Herts
In May 2011, Donna's Dad was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and
they were told it was terminal at the first appointment. Without treatment he
would have 3 months to live, however life could be extended with chemo
but with no guarantee it would have an effect or how long it would extend
life. Donna's Dad decided to have a course of chemo which was successful
in shrinking the growth. Unfortunately it spread to his brain which then had
a big impact on his life, no longer being able to drive or at times suffering
terrible mood swings. He deteriorated after Christmas and Donna's family North London
were talking about using a hospice to help care for him. He was adamant Hospice
that he would not use the facilities. After visiting the North London Hospice
he completely changed his mind and after a tough battle he lost his fight on
2nd March 2012 at the hospice. A month before he died Donna's family
received some more devasting news and her mum was diagnosed with
leukaemia so the help and support of the hospice was a massive help to
Donna and her family.
35

Steven and
Emma Radley
Steven and Emma Radley have raised in excess of £26,000 over the last
eighteen months in memory of their son, William James. Baby William lost
his battle for life in September 2011 aged almost five months.
Oxford
Rafcliffe
Hospitals
Charitable
Funds
Chris Field
In January 2012, Chris's girlfriend's mother, Karen Beaton, passed away at
the Primrose Hospice after 18 months battling with bowel cancer and then
liver cancer. Just before Christmas 2011, things were looking positive for
Karen and treatment was progressing well to be able to get clear of the
cancer. Little was Karen to know she was spending her last Christmas with
her amazing family. Early in January 2012 Karen was still fine, and then all
of a sudden, within a day or two, Karen was submitted to the Primrose
Hospice and her family was told she would only have days to live. This was
devastating and Chris's memories even now are still so vivid. In the early
hours on 29th January 2012 Karen passed away.
Primrose
Hospice
36

Rebecca
Sanders-Hewitt
Kelly Holliday,
Seaton,
Cumbria
Rebecca’s father was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago and
the shock that every family feels at such news didn’t spare them. Like so
many men, he didn’t feel unwell or even have any symptoms, rather what
spurred him to get tested and checked was the death of a close friend.
Luckily, he was able to get treated quickly and now Rebecca and her father
are on a mission to help other men and families in the same way. Bex is a
self professed lover of running and is taking on the London Virgin Marathon
for a second time. She admits that training is difficult but is “super
determined” and is motivated by the cause and knowing what a great
feeling it is to finish on race day. The diagnosis has been a challenge as
she remembers, “It was really hard knowing my hero of a dad wasn’t wellparticularly
with something that you can’t physically see. Dad has always
been the first to say yes to anything and puts in 100% to everything he
does – this was the first time I had realised he wasn’t superman. Well, he is
still really...” Rebecca’s dad is still her number one motivator and her
biggest supporter.
Kelly Holliday plans to run her first marathon in memory of her daughter Isla
who died in November 2012. Isla, aged 4, was diagnosed with Shinizel-
Gledion, a rare and terminal degenerative syndrome and was one of the
longest surviving children to carry the disease. Following Isla’s death in
November 2012, Kelly Holliday and her husband Phil, are determined to
raise funds in their daughter’s memory, but very much felt they needed
their fundraising efforts to include a few challenges, and so Kelly set about
training for her first Virgin London Marathon.
Prostate
Cancer
Research
Centre
Rainbow
Trust
37

Roy Clark
Wandsworth
In February 2012, Roy Clark’s world changed dramatically as he awoke in
an intensive care ward in Southern India following a head-on motorcycle
collision. Roy, aged 48 from Wandsworth, says: ‘Having got to know
Rainbow Trust in my role as guide on many fundraising adventure trips
across India, I know just what a difference their work makes and the role
they play in providing emotional and practical support to families who have
a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. And so, when running the
marathon became a very real option, I was determined to continue
fundraising on their behalf.’
Rainbow
Trust
Maria Goldby
Wallington
When Maria Goldby’s daughter, Elise, was diagnosed with Leukaemia
aged only 18 months, a ten year relationship started with Rainbow Trust
Children’s Charity. Elise sadly died in 2005 due to complications in her
treatment and ever since Maria has been a dedicated fundraiser for the
charity that provided her family with so much support.
Rainbow
Trust
David Barley
I am Miss Sunshine and I ran the Marathon last year for a children's charity
called Ray of Sunshine. I dressed up in their mascot outfit and along with
my girlfriend we ran it together. I have run the Marathon for the past 2 years
for Ray of Sunshine and each year I have hosted an FX quiz in the City of
Ray of
London with my boss/friend being the quiz master.
Sunshine
38

Jill Hendry,18
6 months ago, 18 year old Jill was given the devastating news that her
sight was deteriorating rapidly, leaving her with little vision. She has already
run the New York Marathon and now is training hard for London. She will
be running with a guide runner and has just been matched with a guide
dog.
Retinitis
Pigmentosa
Fighting
Blindness
Derek James,
69,
Newham,
London
Derek has been volunteering in the Richard House Children's Hospice
gardens two days a week for the past five years. His invaluable work has
ranged from general maintenance of the gardens to installing the shell of a
boat for children to sit in, and the creation of a beautiful beach hut. The
retired former teacher, who will turn 70 five days before the London
Marathon, felt so moved by the work of the hospice that he decided to run
his last 26-mile race for the charity, having run several marathons before.
Richard
House
Children’s
Hospice
Martin Parnell,
47
In 2010, Martin ran 250 Marathons. He is attempting to complete 10
Quests in five years. To this date Martin has completed 6 of the Quests.
His next Quest is '“Kilimanjaro Quest 95.2.' He will attempt to run the
Kilimanjaro Marathon on March 3rd and three days later climb the
mountain. However, instead of taking the usual 5 days he will try and do it
in 24 hours.
Right to Play
39

Isobel
Bannister, 18
Isobel is running to commemorate the 100 years anniversary of her Great
Grandfather Harry Green breaking the world Marathon record. Isobel is 18
and is running the Marathon in honour of her Great Grandfather Harry
Green as it is 100 years since he broke the world Marathon record. She felt
it was important to mark the occasion, not just from an historical point of
view but also for her Grandfather Jeff Green, Harry’s son, who will be 87
this year and hopes to support her at the start of the race. She joined her
Great Grandfather’s running club Herne Hill Harriers and is delighted to be
running in their colours in April
Royal British
Legion
Rebecca Boyes
Farnborough
Hampshire
For years Rebecca's Dad has had to battle against Cancer and despite
receiving numerous treatments he has still gone out to work to support his
family. So she wanted to do something in return to say thank you to the
charity who supported him.
Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity
40

Paul Sharp
Bexleyheath,
Kent
Paul had a form of skin cancer on his back around 12 years ago. The small
lump was subsequently removed in Royal Preston Hospital as he lived
nearby at the time. Unfortunately the lump came back 6 years later and this
time he had surgery at Guys and St Thomas’s. The intervention was quite
large this time. Paul was then referred to The Royal Marsden with a
watching brief. He had a minor procedure for the removal of suspect skin
some 3 years ago and he was briefly in the ward for recovery. Paul
therefore spent some time with various patients who had different
prognoses. One man of 30 married with two children was being treated
with chemotherapy, another had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and
had difficulty moving, another had had a successful operation and was
going home later that day. It was a humbling and inspiring experience for
Paul to spend time with these men and to witness their courage and
determination. The thing that most struck him was that they knew they were
in the right place – the best place – that would give them that vital chance.
That the love, level of service and professionalism that was evident in the
staff and everywhere in the hospital meant that there was no fear in being
admitted there. It was then that he knew he had to support the charity in
whichever way he could.
Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity
Matthew
Worrell
Romford,
Essex
Back in May Matthew ran the Bupa 10K for the Royal Marsden in memory
of Jill Fisher. This was a great success for Matthew and has now set his
sights higher to run the Virgin London Marathon in April
Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity
41

Sally Trotman
Isle of Wight
Sally lost her beloved sister Paula last year to cancer and she wants to
support the Royal Marsden cancer hospital to find better treatments and
one day maybe a cure
Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity
Simon Murphy
London
In January 2012 Simon sadly lost his Dad. He was a kind, considerate
man that would, without question, sacrifice himself for his family and others
he cared for. Simon and his family miss him terribly but they know that he
would be the first to encourage them to live their lives to the full, embracing
new challenges with positivity and dedication. Simon personally take great
comfort from the happy memories Simon has of his Dad and the time they
spent together. Simon also takes great strength from the courage, integrity
and determination and feel compelled to do something in his Dad's
memory that he would be proud of. Something that will help others who
face similar circumstances both now and in the future. Simon says "It's for
this reason, having said 'never again' 5 times already, that I've decided to
take part in the Virgin London Marathon"
Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity
42

Charlie Adams
Essex,
Upminster
Charlie and her family lost their step mum June last year to cancer she
fought it to the very end and was such a positive person that they though
see would beat it even when they were told some negative feedback on
her progression with the cancer but basically her message was to be
positive and that's what Charlie and her family intend on doing so they want
to help as much as they can.
Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity
Stephanie
Nimmo
Stephanie Nimmo is mum to Daisy, a special little girl who is cared for
through the Shooting Star Chase children’s hospice services. Daisy and
her family are regular visitors at both of our hospices, Shooting Star House
in Hampton, where Daisy often stays on her own and Christopher’s near
Guildford, which she enjoys with her mum and dad and her three siblings.
Last year on Mothers Day, Steph began her quest to complete seven races
in seven months, in honour of Daisy’s seventh birthday. This has been an
incredible challenge for Steph. She and her husband have three older
children, the oldest of whom has Asperger Syndrome. Caring for Daisy is a
full-time job in itself and yet Steph has found the time to train and fundraise
for each of her races. Steph is a remarkable lady, whom we deeply admire
and are inspired time and again by her energy and enthusiasm
Shooting Star
Chase
43

Steve Edwards
In 1988, Steve had a lifetime ambition to become the first person in the
world to run 500 official sub 3hr 30 min Marathon races. Now 49 years old,
he is slowly but surely closing in on that ambition having run 495 sub 3:30s
out of a total 572 completed Marathons to date. During this time the one
Marathon he has ran the most is London, which he has now completed on
17 occasions with his best time being 2:55 and his slowest 3:21, crucially
though all under 3:30. His running career officially started in 1981 when
aged 18 he ran his first ever road race, the inaugural Coventry Marathon.
Although vowing 'never again', the seed had been sown. A few years later
and realising he would never be one of the fastest Marathon runners in the
world, he decided to embark on what has developed into an amazing
journey to become the fastest extreme 500+ Marathon runner in the world.
In 1990, aged 28, Steve became the youngest athlete in the world at that
time to run 100 Marathon races. Less than two years later, aged 29, he
passed the 200 Marathon landmark, again the youngest athlete at that time
to do so. It was also in 1992 that he broke the Guinness world record at the
time for running the most Marathon races in a one year period, a total of
87, which smashed the previous record of 74 Marathons. Chasing this
record took him to 13 countries and his finishing times averaged 3hrs
14mins, over an hour quicker than the previous record holder. On many
occasions he has run Marathons on consecutive days, however in 2009,
he set a new Veteran Masters record for running 10 Marathon races in 10
days, with a combined time of 3hrs 16mins at the 'Brathay 10 in 10
Challenge' which averages 3hrs 19mins for each Marathon over the 10
consecutive days. Steve has now completed this challenge on 4
occasions.
Spinal
Injuries,
Brathay Trust,
GOSH, NBCA
44

Kate Beaumont
Kingston upon
Thames
Last year my husband and I decided to try for a second daughter & shortly
after I found out I was pregnant we relocated to Kingston Upon Thames so
we could all be together & nearer to his work. (He was working in Surrey,
we were living in Somerset). As we set up our new life together we looked
forward to the birth of our new baby and she was born on the 22nd March
2012. Three weeks early but beautiful and perfect in every way.Tilly was
reluctant to feed and after being readmitted to Kingston twice with weight
loss, problems escalated and at twelve days old Tilly was transferred to the
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at St. Georges Hospital in Tooting. Tilly had
had some breathing problems and a suspected seizure. Over the next
week Tilly had many tests and was seen by various specialists as her
problems worsened. Neurologists began to suspect the problem with Tilly
was serious and that her outlook was poor. After nearly two weeks in PICU
we were told that Tilly's results pointed to a condition known as Early
Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy and that if she survived she would have
very delayed development. As time passed her problems seemed to
worsen and it manifested that Tilly was unable to sustain her own
breathing. We were advised that the best thing for Tilly would be for her
treatment to be withdrawn and on the 24th April Tilly's Ventilator was
wirthdrawn.I think that until you our faced with a situation like ours you take
these services for granted and as we come to terms with loosing Tilly I
really feel like I want to give something back to the hospital. I am running
the London Marathon for St. Georges and have pledged to raise a
minimum of £2000 pounds. On the 24th of April this year it will be a year
since we lost Tilly, last year on the day of the Marathon we were in St.
Georges knowing that the next day Tilly's treatment would be withdrawn.
For me this makes the Marathon even more poignant. So far I have raised
over £4000 with the help and support of family and friends, we have had a
relay Marathon that we called 'Tilly's Toddle', a coffee morning, a
St George's
Hospital,
Tooting
45

Nikki Gould
Nikki learnt at the age of 6 that her Grandma was very poorly and had died,
she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and it took her very
quickly. Surely news like this can't be broken to a family again, but this is
what happened at the age of 15 when Nikki's Auntie Curly was diagnosed
with bowel cancer, it was terminal and incurable. However something was
different this time, as Curly became a patient at St Helena Hospice. Sadly
she lost her fight in September 1995. After losing her Nan then in 2000, her
Granddad in 2005, Nikki was sure 2006 would be a better year, this was
not meant to be. Nikki had to face one of the hardest years as her best
friend Emma who was 26 learnt that she had breast cancer and that it had
spread to her liver and was terminal. This is the reason Nikki wants to help
St Helena Hospice by running for them.
St Helena
Hospice
46

Ger Cronin
Ger ran the 2012 London Marathon in memory of Ashley Jolly, whose
father works for him. He was so inspired to hear that the Ashley Jolly SAD
Trust, SADS UK had been set up in memory of 16 year old Ashley and that
lives were being saved in Ashley's memory he was determined to raise
awareness and funds for the charity. Ger finished in a fantastic time of 2hrs
54 mins earning himself a Good for Age place. Ger is running the 2013
race, aiming to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest Fairy to
finish and has registered his 2013 record attempt. He is joined by two
friends, Chris Gall and Matthias Dehmel who together will be an Irish,
British and German Fairy Crew. Ger's young daughter has designed his
fairy costume for him to wear.
Sudden Adult
Death Trust
47

Caroline Ness
I have been a Sports Development Officer with Perth & Kinross Council
since 2005. For the majority of the past seven years I was the SDO for
Disability Sport and have met some wonderful people with physical,
learning and sensory disabilities over this time. Through links in my job, I
put myself forward earlier this year to become a volunteer boccia coach for
the Tayside Special Olympics team and also as a co-opted member on the
Executive Committee. 100 athletes with learning disabilities from Tayside
have been selected along with 30 carers/coaches to head to Bath for
Special Olympics GB National Games in Bath from 27 August - 1
September 2013. Special Olympics offers a lifetime of learning through
sport and benefits individuals of all ages and ability levels. Taking part
improves the quality of daily life of people with intellectual disabilities and
their families through sport. Special Olympics Great Britain was
established in 1978, providing training and competition programmes in 26
sports. I will try and raise the profile of Special Olympics and raise money
for the Tayside team. The Tayside team have to raise a whopping £97,500
to attend the games and the athletes have to make a personal contribution
towards this but there is still a huge amount of over £48,000 to raise. I
have already organised a cake sale through my work and as a trustee on
local charity Perth & Kinross Disability Sport, I am working closely with them
to organise other fundraising opportunities such as quiz nights and bag
packs. Three other coaches from my local area (Perth & Kinross) are also
helping with fundraising.
Tayside
Special
Olympics
Team
Jamie Wingrav,
35
Jamie lost his brother in law 8 years ago when he was 10. Teenage Cancer
Trust helped Jamie and his family through this traumatic time.
Essex
Teenage
Cancer Trust
48

Jono Parkinson
and Samuel
Murphy
In 2000 they were all fresh faced High School students beginning their
education at John Taylor High School. All three of them showed a keen
interest in sports which led to a hard, fast friendship. After the seven years
of school and moving on to university they all kept in touch. Unfortunately in
2012, their friend Ben was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left knee.
Four months of Chemotherapy did not successfully decrease the size of
the tumour, which led to Ben having his leg amputated from the middle of
his femur. It was Jono who decided to spur into action and get Sam
alongside him to run the marathon for their friend.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Gemma Baulch,
23
Gemma was diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2008 and spent 6 months as an
inpatient on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at University College London
Hospital.
Essex
Teenage
Cancer Trust
David Oakley,
23
Manchester
In December 2008, David was diagnosed with an Osteo Sarcoma in his
right leg. Treatment involved chemotherapy at University College London
Hospital and an amputation at the end of March. He was lucky enough to
be treated on the Teenage Cancer Trust sponsored adolescent ward at
UCLH. The facilities the charity provided to David on the ward made the
whole experience much easier to cope with actually made it pleasant to be
on the ward.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
49

Sam Kennard,
20
London
Sam was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the summer of 2009
when he was 16. Sam had treatment on a Teenage Cancer Trust unit, and
underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy before he got the all clear in
December. The work of the Teenage Cancer Trust benefitted Sam hugely;
it really made such a difficult experience so much easier.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Christopher
Gliddon, 29
London
Christopher was diagnosed with Colon Cancer at the age of 20. As a
consequence he spent a great deal of time in hospital and oncology units,
all for adults. Even at 20 he found this incredibly intimidating and added
greater stress on an already stressful experience.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Jemma Virgin,
29
Somerset
In September 2008, Jemma's best friend Tom, who she had grown up with
since they were one, was diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of 26.
Sadly on 31st March 2009 Tom lost his battle with cancer at just 27. Tom
was active outgoing and like a brother to Jemma, naively Jemma assumed
he was going to be there her whole life.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
50

Steve Shannon,
47
Tom Greville
Williams, 20
Twickenham
Midlothian
Steve says “As a good friend of Des Murphy (Roger Daltrey’s Son in-law) I
first became involved with Teenage Cancer Trust in 2005 while working at
MTV when he asked me to produce some fundraising short films starring
Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge. In 2008 when Teenage Cancer Trust
happened to be picked as Arsenal's charity of the year Des asked if we
could donate our time to make an advert to celebrate the partnership.
During the filming of the ad I got to meet a number of teenagers who had
and were being helped by Teenage Cancer Trust including an amazing
young man called Jack Chester. After the filming I had the pleasure of
meeting Jack a number of times and just before his cancer came back we
were in the process of organising some work experience for him. The last
time I saw Jack we said hello at the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs in 2010
where he went on stage as usual despite his illness... In September I heard
that Jack had passed away. Jack was such an inspirational figure and his
positive attitude throughout his illness touched me deeply. He told me first
hand about his illness and how much Teenage Cancer Trust had helped
him and his fellow patients. And I know that’s why he continued to work so
tirelessly for the charity."
In 2012 a dear friend of Tom, Fiona Walker, died at the young age of 19
having been cared for by Teenage Cancer Trust. It would mean a huge
amount for Tom to be able to make a contribution to this worthwhile cause.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Teenage
Cancer Trust
51

Grant Francis,
33
Grant's uncle died at a very young age from cancer and Grant nursed him
through it, Grant saw what great work Teenage Cancer Trust organisation
does. He is determined to run for this charity.
London
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Emma
Newman, 21
Leeds
Emma's sister was diagnosed with cancer in January 2011. After over a
year of treatment on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward Charlotte was finally
had the all clear. The major factor in her sister's recovery was down to the
Teenage Cancer Trust ward in Leeds.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Dominic
Newman, 51
Leeds
Dominic's daughter, Charlotte was diagnosed with cancer in Jan 2011,
Charlotte received a years worth of treatment in the Teenage Cancer Trust
ward in Leeds. The facilities of the staff and the quality of care on the ward
helped to make the treatment somewhat bearable. Dominic and her family
had every faith that Charlotte was in the best place to be. Charlotte took
great comfort being in a place where she was surrounded by other
teenagers going through similar ordeals; Dominic would also like to run in
the honour of all the friends that Charlotte met that were not as fortunate as
her and sadly lost their battles with cancer.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
52

Dean Shaw, 42
Hampshire
Last year Dean's 17 year old niece was diagnosed with cancer and this
acted as a catalyst to do something Dean has always wanted whilst raising
money for a fantastic cause. The good news is that short of Her 18th
Birthday , Dean's niece Danielle was given the all clear.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Clare Shaw, 43
Hampshire
Last year Clare's husband's 17 year old niece was diagnosed with germ
cell cancer. She and her family have had an incredibly tough year dealing
both with the diagnosis and the treatment. Throughout this time they were
supported by the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
James
Williams, 28
Essex
James lost his brother to cancer when he was 19. He was treated and
cared for in a Teenage Cancer Trust Unit and received high levels of
specialist care and support during this time, as did James' family. Despite
James' brother loosing his battle, James feels his brother was fortunate to
be in a Teenage Cancer Trust Unit, so he is keen to repay the charity and
run in his memory.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
53

Clare Furniss,
39
Bath
Clare lost two friends to cancer when they were at university - both in their
teens/early twenties. When Clare found out about the work of Teenage
Cancer Trust she really wanted to do something to help.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Freddie Raben,
22
London
Freddie has recently donated bone marrow to his younger sister who has
been fighting leukaemia for 3 years. The transplant is working and she is
starting to get much better. This is his reason for wanting to run.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Clair Morris, 33
Clair is running as she had a young family member affected by cancer,
Somerset
Teenage
Cancer Trust
54

Kevin Walker,
50
Hertfordshire
Teenage Cancer Trust has been incredibly important to Kevin over the last
six years since his partner Sonia Mann's daughter Alice was first diagnosed
with cancer in 2006 at the age of 16 and sadly lost her battle with
rhabdomyosarcoma in November 2008 aged just 18. Alice was very
passionate about Teenage Cancer Trust, as Addenbrooks, at this time,
could not offer a teenage unit to be treated in. Instead she went from
Paediatric Services up to the age of 16, and then she was treated in Adult
Services thereafter. She was an incredibly brave young woman and an
inspiration to all who had the privilege to meet her or watch the many
amazing video diaries she filmed for jimmyteentv whist undergoing
treatment.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Charlotte
Brunton, 21
Bromsgrove
On 30th July 2005, Charlotte lost her cousin, Jennifer Jones to cancer.
Jennifer was first diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma when she
was 14. For a year she received intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy
Teenage
to combat the disease which was very aggressive. However at the time she
Cancer Trust
was treated on a children's ward which made her battle even more difficult.
Benjamin
Hayter, 21
Hampshire
Benjamin's sister had leukaemia and Teenage Cancer Trust made her
experience more bearable. His sister finished her treatment last April and is
extremely grateful to the charity for helping her get through it.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Pamela Parker,
41
North
Humberside
Pamela works at a Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at Castle Hill Hospital,
where she has seen first hand the good work that this unit does. As a
diagnostic monographer her role is to diagnose pathology and cancer is
often detected in the type of scans she perform. Pamela's role also
involves follow up examinations once patients are diagnosed and she sees
the affects of the treatment on the patients and families.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
55

Sanjit Lallie, 22
West
Midlands
In 2008 Sanjit's cousin Rav had been complaining for along time about
chest pains and shortness of breath. After a month Rav went directly to the
hospital and demanded a thorough check. After the results came back he
was immediately called back to undergo radio and chemotherapy. He had
testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs. After a long battle and hard
fight he beat cancer.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Luke Avery, 24
Essex
Luke's family has suffered extensively from the effects of cancer losing a
Grandfather in 2004 and a Grandmother in 2007. His uncle Gary was
diagnosed in 2009, and after a long battle with cancer has subsided. But in
2010 out of the blue it returned once more, not to his uncle but rather to
Gary's 15 year old daughter, Holly, Luke's cousin; in the form of
Leukaemia.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Stephanie
Parkinson, 24
Lancashire
During Stephanie's friend's illness, Teenage Cancer Trust supported her
throughout her fight. She was Stephanie's inspiration. Stephanie says "I am
doing this for you Miss Kimberley Jayne Rossall, RIP."
Teenage
Cancer Trust
James Adams,
19
Staffordshire
James was treated by the Teenage Cancer Trust and now wants to give
something back.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
56

Emma
Bowdidge, 21
Colchester
Emma's younger brother was diagnosed with cancer in September 2012
and is being treated on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward in University
College London Hospital.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Mark Rumble,
42
Mark will be running for Teenage Cancer Trust Cardiff as a thank you for
looking after his goddaughter in 2011 - 2012.
London
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Denise Clark
Cambridgeshi
re
Teenage Cancer Trust supported her son in law James Wootton and her
daughter Victoria Wootton when James was ill and after James passed
away in January 2011. The charity also supported James' mum and dad
whenever they needed help.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Simon Gold
Reading
Simon spent 12 months in and out of the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit in
University College London Hospital for Chemotherapy. He thinks what the
Teenage Cancer Trust does is incredible and he wanted more young
people who find themselves in that position to have access to the kind of
care Simon received.
Teenage
Cancer Trust
57

Jennifer Stern,
25
Jennifer's reason for wanting to run for Teenage Cancer Trust is because
her brother at the age of 15 was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Throughout
his 5/6 months in and out of University College London Hospital's teenage
cancer ward he was so overwhelmed at how incredible this ward was.
London
Teenage
Cancer Trust
Matthew Loddy,
47
Matthew has only five weeks left to prepare for his 786 mile test. His 30
day challenge kicks off on Saturday 23 March and will finish on Sunday 21
April at the Virgin London Marathon. He will be running through major cities
in the UK whilst passing various Teenage Cancer Trust units in NHS
hospitals. Matthew decided to take on this extreme marathon challenge for
Teenage Cancer Trust after losing a close friend to cancer and aims to
raise £100,000 for the charity. His support vehicle will be driven by his
father Tom Loddy, 85 and friends will join him for parts of the run. Local
people can also get sponsored to run a mile with him. Matthew comments:
"Teenage Cancer Trust immediately connected with me and my
experience. Teenage years should be free, formative and fun no matter
what’s wrong with your body. Teenage Cancer Trust made me think about
a situation I had not realised existed. Teenagers and young adults being
treated together in this way is the best possible environment for them at the
worst possible time. Last year's 100 marathons in 100 days was meant to
be a one-off but why not do more if I can? Running 30 marathons in 30
days in the UK will highlight Teenage Cancer Trust specialist units for
young patients around Britain whilst raising money.”
Teenage
Cancer Trust
58

Jan Maybury,
44
Folly Lane,
Holmwood
Jan is running this year for The Children’s Trust, where her son Mark is a
residential student at its School for Profound Education. Mark, 18, has Wolf-
Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare chromosomal condition, which means he
cannot walk, talk, is now blind, has poor hearing and a hole in the heart and
epilepsy.Mrs Maybury, a mum-of-four, said the Trust, which is based in
Tadworth has thrown Mark a “life line”. “Mark’s conditions means he needs
constant and continual care,” she said. “Mark originally went to the Trust
only during school holidays so we could give some quality time to his The
brother Alec, who was very young at the time. It became increasingly more Children's
difficult for us to manage Mark’s needs at home. He needed feeding tubes Trust
inserted into his tummy, for nutrition and medication and he was on eight Tadworth
different medications six times a day!” Mark, who was seven at the time,
started staying at the Trust and went home to his family every other
weekend. However his eyesight started to deteriorate and as a result both
his retinas detached, leaving him blind. Since then Mark has been a
residential learner at the school, where he is involved in a 24-hour multisensory
curriculum.
59

Dom Graham,
35
Bushey Mill
Lane
Mr Graham’s brother, Nicholas, who passed away in 1999, had multiple
disabilities and received respite care at the Trust as a child from 1986 to
1993. “The Children’s Trust is a very special charity to me for everything it
did for my brother and my family,” explains Dom. “When Nicholas was
alive, the Trust did an excellent job of providing respite care, allowing my
parents a break from the 24-hour care that he required. It was often hard to
get adequate respite care but the Trust never failed.” Dom plans to host
fundraising events, including several nights of live music, in the lead-up to
the marathon and credits his mum, Diane Graham as being his fundraising
side-kick: “She’ll be rattling the tin for me,” he says. “Mum does a lot a
charity work so she’ll be a good support in my fundraising effort. “I’ve really
upped my training now with the new year. It’s a struggle to get out of bed
for a pre-work run but it’ll all be worth the effort.”
The
Children's
Trust
Tadworth
Geoff Cainer,
67 and son
Jonathan
Whitefield,
Greater
Manchester
67 year old grandfather and local cab-driver, Geoff Cainer from Whitefield,
has embarked on a gruelling training regime, running 5 or 6 times a week,
interspersing longer runs with shorter, fast runs and hill sprints and building
up his endurance. He also visits the gym regularly.“My wife Carol works for
PROJECT SMILE and I’m very aware of the amazing work they do with
children who need a lot of special care and attention. These kids have all
sorts of difficulties – some are physically disabled, some have learning
problems, some have chronic illnesses or a combination of all of these. It
puts a huge strain on their families and means the kids can’t enjoy the kind
of things others take for granted. This will be my 6th full Marathon, and it’s
going to be extra special because my son, Jonathan, who lives in Australia
is coming over to run it with me. He’s been a personal trainer in Sydney for
almost 5 years and I only get to see him about once a year. It’s the first
Marathon we’ll have run together in almost 10 years."
The FED,
Project Smile
60

Nigel Addison-
Evans
Richard
Padginton
Kelly Bennett
Chelten-ham
Tonbridge,
Kent
On April 14th 2013, Nigel will start a challenge of running 8 Marathons on 7
Continents in 7 Days in Fire Kit. Nigel is a retained Fire-fighter based in
Cheltenham. He is doing this to raise awareness for two charities: The Firefighters
Charity and Help Daniel find his Feet. In October 2012 Nigel took
part in the World Fire Fighter Games in Sydney, where he ran the
Marathon in fire kit to promote the challenge as well as launching the
challenge to the media. The final leg of his challenge with be the Virgin
London Marathon.
Richard is running in loving memory of his Mum Joyce Mary Padginton
(Joy) who lost a 5 month battle with cancer on 14 July 2011. Joy had
suffered with breast cancer 38 years earlier, but with the help of The Royal
Marsden, and against the odds, she went on to live a healthy life as a
beloved Mum, Wife, Nanna, Sister, Auntie, Cousin and Friend. Her
kindness touched all who knew her and Richard and his family are forever
grateful to The Royal Marsden for the treatment they afforded her all those
years ago.
Kelly's nephew Jack aged 6 was diagnosed with leukaemia on 31st August
2012. During his treatment Jack, Debbie and James have received help,
support and treatment from the two charities, So Kelly has chosen to
support them - The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and CLIC Sargent - in
running this year's Virgin London Marathon.
The Firefighters
Charity, Help
Daniel find his
Feet
The Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity
The Royal
Marsden
Cancer
Charity and
CLIC Sargent
61

James Beddow
This will be James's first Virgin London Marathon. He was inspired to run
for the first time in his life following the death of his son to still birth. He is
running in his memory and in support of Tommy's, a charity that
researches stillbirth and neonatal death. On January 21st 2011, his son
Sebastian died. It has been hard on his family, his wife and also his 3 year
old son. Everything was fine in the pregnancy but at 39 weeks disaster
struck and it all went wrong. There was no medical explanation about what
went wrong as currently it is not fully understood medically. 17 babies die
everyday in the UK from stillbirth and neonatal death with the vast majority
being unexplained. The hardest thing about what happened to James is to
think that it is still occurring still to other parents.
Tommy's
Charity
Dom Gilvarry
Merseyside
When Dom crosses the finish line of the London Marathon in April he will
have run close to 200 miles after completing 12 running events over the
past year. Dom is running for Team Ella, a fundraising platform set up by
him and his wife after their daughter, Ella, was stillborn in November
2010. ‘The Year of Running’ has seen Dom complete runs across the
country, including the Liverpool Marathon and the Great South Run. Since
taking up running, Dom has lost 9 ½ stone and gone on to become a
qualified fitness instructor. He leads a twice weekly training session and
has seen over 200 people join the Team Ella cause, collectively helping to
raise over £25,000 for numerous baby and children’s charities since its
inception in 2011.
Tommy's
Charity
62

Stephen Wright
Jon Scotland,
31
Orpington,
Kent
Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshi
re
2013 may be the 150th anniversary of the tube but it should be
remembered for another remarkable feat. Stephen Wright of Orpington,
Kent is setting out to run the entire London Overground Network as part of
his London Marathon training. Between 2010 & 2011, Stephen also ran the
full London Underground network, and considers his latest venture to be
excellent training preparation for the ‘big day’. Stephen has chosen to run
for a cause close to his heart, after he and his wife, Zoe sadly lost their
twins - Sam and Bob - back in 2007, at 21 weeks into pregnancy. In May
2011, after becoming pregnant again, they went through the heartache of
losing another baby - Thomas - at just 22 weeks. Stephen says: “Training
for a race takes a lot of dedication and persistence but you remain focused
to ensure you're in the best place to achieve your goal. You might never
get there but with hard work you can give it your best shot. Tube running
Jon and his wife almost gave up trying for a baby after two unsuccessful
pregnancies, miscarrying at 10 weeks in 2009, and again at 13 weeks.
Wife, Emma then fell pregnant again with Lily-Mei but she was born nine
weeks premature and needed special care for five weeks. Jon says: “This
has been such a traumatic journey for us and we couldn’t imagine anyone
else going through the same. If Tommy’s is able to reduce the chances of
another family going through the same I hope that we can help in any small
way we can.”
Tommy's
Charity
Tommy's
Charity
63

Ryan Mackie,
29
Ryan’s daughter, Maya was stillborn at 29 weeks gestation, 7 months into
his wife, Sophie’s pregnancy. Ryan is running the London marathon to
raise money for Tommy’s and to keep her memory alive.
Chatham,
Kent
Tommy's
Charity
Clare
Weatherill, 60
Never having run a marathon before, Clare was determined to run a
marathon a decided that turning 60 would be a great time to do so. The
furthest she has ever run is a 10k about 15 years ago, Clare has a minor
lung condition and was advised to exercise more. Clare is delighted to
report that the training has hugely improved her cough.
UK Youth
64

Simon Bowley,
37
Totnes,
Devon
Simon, 37, a teacher from Totnes, Devon, is not a seasoned runner,
having only run two half-marathons in the past. However, running in the
London Marathon will only be the start of the challenge he has set himself
as he will follow this race with 52 half-marathons in 52 weeks to raise
money for WaterAid. Growing up in Tanzania, Simon witnessed first-hand
the problems arising from a lack of access to clean water and adequate
sanitation, inspiring him to support WaterAid.
WaterAid
Reverend Philip
Young, 60
Reverend Philip Young, 60, is Norwich Diocesan Environmental Officer and
has run six marathons before – five for WaterAid, and last year in memory
of his wife who died suddenly eight weeks before the Marathon. He has
made a ‘tap hat’, which he wears for the marathon.
Norwich
WaterAid
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Ashutosh
Tiwari, 43
Nepal
Ashutosh, 43, is the Country Representative for international charity
WaterAid in Nepal. Ashutosh sees first-hand the problems arising from a
lack of access to water and sanitation, inspiring him to support WaterAid
through work and individual fundraising. In Nepal, 11% of the population
has no access to clean, safe water, and an overwhelming 69% has
nowhere safe to go to the toilet.
WaterAid
Anthony
Chapman, 40
Leicester
Anthony will be running the marathon in fancy dress as the Wellchild
mascot hand. This will be Anthony's 9th consecutive London Marathon and
7th year for running for WellChild. This will also be the fist year since the
birth of his daughter Elizabeth. He plans to complete the challenge as he
has now hit 40 years of age and wanted to do something really tough.
WellChild
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