Meet our Virgin London Marathon runners!
The Virgin London Marathon is taking place on Sunday, 24 April 2016. We have many fundraisers who love to get stuck in to some long-distance running, and this year is no different as four fantastic fundraisers have decided to complete one of the most infamous races for QEHB Charity. We had a chat with each of them…
Hannah Tomes
(Pictured: Hannah and her grandmother, Oma)
Hannah Tomes, a 21-year-old student of English Literature and History of Art at the University of Leeds, is our youngest runner.
From Clunton, Shropshire, Hannah is running for QEHB Charity in order to thank the staff and the QE for the efforts they put into treating her grandmother, Oma, when she was treated for Oesophageal cancer in 2012. She said: “Thanks to the tireless work of the staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, we still have Oma here today; for that, I owe them the world.”
This is the second marathon that Hannah will have completed, having taken part in the 2014 Greater Manchester Run. She enjoys marathons due to the challenge they present her with: “I am not a particularly natural runner, so it is nice to try and improve on something that isn’t my strongest point.” In order to train for such a long distance, Hannah uses a website calling ‘The Running Bug’, and ensures that she sticks to its plan!
Hannah’s pet hate while partaking in long-distance running is forgetting to bring her iPod: “I find it so difficult to keep going without the right music on!”
Hannah’s fundraising target is £1,500: “I want to help others going through the same thing as my family; if the money I raise benefits only one person, it will be worth it. It is thanks to the staff at the QE that my grandmother will be cheering me on at the finishing line in April; my family will never be able to thank the QE enough.”
Hannah is also going to be taking part in the Leeds Half Marathon, only a fortnight after the London Marathon, in which she will be running once more for QEHB Charity.
QEHB Charity wishes Hannah the best of luck for her two long-distance runs.
To donate to Hannah’s cause, please click here.
Holly Dagger
(Pictured: Laura Beacham and Holly Dagger)
Holly Dagger, a 37-year-old Human Resources Manager at Aston Labs (part of the Specsavers Group), is a newcomer to marathon running. Therefore, she is learning how to train for such a long run completely from scratch!
Once having completed her fundraising, Holly will be donating the money to the Teenage Cancer Trust’s Young Person’s Unit at the QE: “I hope that the money I raise will help the patients in their against cancer; hopefully, it will assist the efforts in making this difficult time in hospital more bearable.”
Regarding QEHB Charity, Holly commented: “I think it is a wonderful charity, which supports hundreds of patients and their families each year.”
The most enjoyable thing about long distance running, for Holly, is listening to music and having some ‘me’ time. Her pet hate, at the moment, is training in spite of suffering from a foot injury.
QEHB Charity wishes Holly the best of luck for her first marathon.
To donate to Holly’s cause, please click here.
Marcus George
(Pictured: Marcus George)
Marcus, a thirty-year-old student paramedic from South Birmingham, is also tackling a full marathon for the first time. Having run the Great Birmingham Half Marathon twice, he is looking forward to the challenge of twice the distance.
Marcus’ training is based around building up to this new distance. He is running four times a week, with three smaller distances and one larger. Alongside this, he is doing ‘insanity’ core workouts and stretch workouts.
After completing his fundraising, Marcus is going to be donating the grand total to Critical Care Unit. He decided to raise money for QEHB Charity following the treatment his father received at the hospital: “I am enjoying another Christmas with my father thanks to the wonderful staff and equipment at the QE. It is the very least I can do to give something back so they can do the same for someone else’s nearest and dearest. You don’t have to wear a cape to be a hero; my father being here today is testament to this.”
Marcus’ favourite element of long-distance running is the finish line! However, Marcus also states: “I do, strangely, enjoy the burn on my lungs and the ache of my legs while I run; it is the best stress relief!” His pet hate is his iPod running out of charge while he is running: “A man needs a constant flow of reggae while running!”
QEHB Charity wishes Marcus the best of luck for his first marathon.
To donate to Marcus’ cause, please click here.
Sarah Vince
(Pictured: Sarah Vince)
For Sarah Vince, a 23-year-old nurse from Birmingham, the Virgin London Marathon is also going to be her first.
Sarah is training by running as often as she can. She does one longer run per week, and increases the length by one mile each week. As well as this, Sarah is taking part in core stability classes.
As Sarah is a nurse at the QE’s Critical Decisions Unit, this is the ward for which she has decided to fundraise. She said: “Coming to CDU is a scary and daunting experience, not just for the patients but their families. While I and my colleagues do all that we can to put those we care for at ease, any added extras I can fundraise for to bring comfort to patients and relatives will be brilliant. We are always looking for ways to improve patient experience, and hopefully the money raised will help QEHB Charity to assist us in this.”
Sarah loves long-distance running as it is a way to push herself as well as being a brilliant stress reliever. She also loves being able to eat as much food as she wants as a reward for her hard work! Sarah’s pet hate while running is a foot injury she is currently suffering from.
QEHB Charity wishes Sarah the best of luck for her first marathon.
To donate to Sarah’s cause, please click here.
Nicki Hudson
(Pictured: Nicki Hudson with her father)
Nicki is raising money for QEHB Charity’s Critical Care Unit, in order to give something back to the department that saved her father’s life.
Nicki’s father underwent heart surgery at the QE, during which he experienced complications. The surgeons worked tirelessly, with the operation lasting for 18 hours. When brought our of this surgery, he was kept in an induced coma, before undergoing further emergency procedures. His condition was so weak that, during one operation, his heart stopped; however, the staff at the QE saved him, and after 71 days he left the hospital.
Nicki said: “Due to these incredible surgeons, specialists, doctors, nurses, drugs and medical equipment, my father left the Critical Care Unit at the QE against all the odds.
All monies raised for this department will be invested in equipment and research. I want to give something back for them saving my father; not every daughter is as lucky.”
QEHB Charity wishes Nicki the best of the luck for the marathon.
To donate to Nicki’s cause, click here.
