Here at RunThrough, we receive some great emails of runners stories, but we recently received this amazing email from Paul about his wife Gillian, and we were welcomed to share her story.
“I am writing to tell you about my wife Gillian. It is 40 years since she lost her mum early to breast cancer.
Recently, just before her upcoming 60th, she has wanted to mark her mum’s anniversary by challenging herself. Having never run before, she has set herself the challenge of completing the couch to 5k programme, and this will culminate in her first ever 5k run at the Run Through Hyde Park on September 11th.
The plan is for me, her and daughter Ellen to complete the 5k together. She has really pushed herself well out of her comfort zone for this and I’m so proud of her. September the 11th will be a special day for her.
Well, as it turns out, plans had to change when the Hyde Park run was cancelled, but we wanted to get the event in before daughter Ellen left for university. The RunThrough team kindly transferred our entry to the Thorpe Park event on the 18th September… and Gillian completed the run in 34:53 so we are very proud of her!
She has set up a JustGiving page for Breast Cancer UK over at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gillianorourke.
I love competing in RunThrough events and I know that the medal is always brilliant at RT events, and this will be one that will be very special to her.
Her next outing will be Chase The Moon Battersea on December 21st, where me and Ellen will join her again. Really looking forward to that. I’ll also be at Victoria Park this Saturday running the half! ”
