2019 VIRGIN MONEY LONDON MARATHON RUNNERS' STORIES
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document date: 09 April 2019
version: 1.1
2019 VIRGIN MONEY
LONDON MARATHON
RUNNERS’ STORIES
John Friend - Action Against Cancer
Dave Heeley - The Albion Foundation
Nicola Nuttall - The Brain Tumour Charity
Simon Benbow - Children with Cancer UK
Gavin Burton - Children with Cancer UK
Daniel Lawrence - Evelina London Children’s Hospital
Amanda Pilbeam - Flat Friends
Eileen Noble - MACS
Steve Bland - Macmillan Cancer Support
Anna Skevington - Macmillan Cancer Support
Sandra Orlando - Macular Society
Simon and Judith Strevens - Parkinson’s UK
Leon McLeod - PTSD999
Amy Redden - Plymouth Hospitals General
Charlotte Wong - Willow Foundation
Louise Blizzard
Scroll down for full biographiesJOHN DAVE
FRIEND HEELEY
25, LONDON WEST BROMWICH
Charity: Action Against Cancer Charity: The Albion Foundation
In 2016 John’s mother was diagnosed with stage 4 As a child, Dave Heeley was diagnosed with an eye
breast cancer. An experienced runner, John decided complaint called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Over the years
to run the Virgin Money London Marathon for his he gradually lost his sight and now uses a guide dog.
mum and set himself an ambitious fundraising target:
to raise £35,000 for the 35,000 people in the UK Despite being legally blind, he’s set himself various
living with incurable breast cancer, including his mum. challenges including cliff jumping in Corfu. He has also
completed seven marathons in seven days on seven
The money raised will go towards a new metastatic continents.
breast cancer research project that the charity Action
Against Cancer is funding at the Imperial Centre for Dave’s latest challenge aims to fundraise for The
Translational and Experimental Medicine. Albion Foundation. He ran the Great Manchester
Marathon on 7 April, and he with his ‘comrades’ will
John has a longstanding connection to the London be riding 200 miles down to London and running
Marathon. When just 12 years old, John ran the Mini the Virgin Money London Marathon in less than three
London Marathon for a school friend with cerebral weeks.
palsy and then gave his medal to the boy. When the
Headmaster rewarded John with his very own 1993
London Marathon medal, John vowed to return the
favour and did so in 2012.
NICO L A SIMON
NUTTALL BENBOW
48, LANCASHIRE 36, CREWE
Charity: The Brain Tumour Charity Charity: Children with Cancer UK
Nicola’s duaghter, Laura, had just started university A father-of-two, who himself has survived cancer, will
when she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer tackle a 200-mile run from Nantwich to London and
in late 2018. After joining the University Navy Corps, then race in the Virgin Money London Marathon to
a routine eye and medical test showed abnormalities raise money for Children with Cancer UK.
behind her eyes and she was eventually diagnosed
with Glioblastoma Multiforme, the most aggressive Simon said: “I lost my mum to ovarian cancer in
stage 4 brain cancer. 2017, just a year after getting the all clear (from skin
cancer) myself. I didn’t deal with any of it properly
Soon after her diagnosis, the 19-year-old from and just buried it all and tried to carry on as normal.
Lancashire began creating a bucket list with her
friends and family. So far she has met Jordan Pickford “I suffered with depression and anxiety but I still never
of Everton Football Club, seen Sir Paul McCartney in let on to my family or friends how bad it had become.
concert and on 29 Jan she ticked another item off her Then last year it finally got too much and I went to the
bucket list by piloting a Royal Navy Ship. doctor to seek help. He encouraged me to focus on
a goal or a hobby and as I’ve run a few marathons in
Laura’s mum Nicola is a brilliant 3:10 runner and she the past it was only natural that I’d use my running to
will be running the Virgin Money London Marathon try and raise as much money as I could for a cancer
as part of a wider fundraising effort to obtain charity. As a father to two young children, Children
experimental treatment to extend her daughter’s life. with Cancer UK seemed the perfect charity.”GA VIN D AN IEL
BURTON LAWRENCE
44, OTLEY 41, WORCESTER PARK
Charity: Children with Cancer UK Charity: Evelina London Children’s Hospital
Gavin was diagnosed with an aggressive bowel In May 2017, Daniel was walking down his local high
tumour in 2015, while his wife was expecting their street one evening when he was viciously assaulted
second child. by a group of young men, leaving him blind in one eye
and his leg ‘snapped in half’.
He said: “I looked across at my wife who was heavily
pregnant and our daughter just 18 months old and He said: “I’ve now got a metal rod in the leg. Recovery
saw my life flash by in front of my eyes but that is was slow to start with. The eye [injury] affects your
where my fight began.” depth perception and your spatial awareness. It’s not
as bad as it was but it’s just a matter of getting used
Gavin underwent surgery and months of to things like that.”
chemotherapy treatment while his second child
was newborn. With the help of his doctors, and the The 41-year-old has since recovered and is taking on
support of his family, he beat the cancer and started the Virgin Money London Marathon, hoping to raise
running to rebuild the strength in his body. £2,500 for the Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
The hospital have cared for the son of a close friend
Now Gavin is running the Virgin Money London of Dan’s who was diagnosed with Severe Combined
Marathon, something he’d set his sights on before Immunodeficiency (SCID) aged nine months old.
he got sick, to show his family and himself that he’s
fighting fit and strong enough to be there for his Now six, the boy is back to full health thanks to the
family’s future. work of the doctors and nurses at the hospitall.
AM A NDA EILEEN
PILBEAM NOBLE
52, LITCHAM 84, BEXLEYHEATH
Charity: Flat Friends Charity: MACS
Amanda, a mother-of-two, was diagnosed with Eileen is the oldest women running the 2019 Virgin
breast cancer in August 2016 and had to have a Money London Marathon. She was also the oldest
left mastectomy and her lymph nodes removed. female runner last year and finished what was the
Following six months of chemotherapy and 15 rounds hottest London Marathon in record in 6:47:54. Eileen
of radiotherapy, she underwent a second operation to is hoping she will be a bit faster this time round.
have her right breast removed.
“My big ambition is complete this year’s race and
She said: “I was told by my surgeon and my breast then next year’s too because that would be my 20th
nurse that following my double surgeries I would London Marathon – so I’m already thinking one step
no longer be able to do much physical activity. My ahead,” she says.
reaction was that if I couldn’t carry on my life the
way as I did before then there was no point in going Noble runs four times a week and says keeping fit
through all the treatment. I set about slowly building keeps her young.
myself back up to fitness and am now running and
generally really enjoying life - to the full.” Noble is running for MACS, a charity supporting
children born without eyes or with underdeveloped
Now Amanda has defied the odds and is gearing up eyes. She is having problems with her own sight and
for the ultimate challenge as she gets ready to face is keen to support children with similar challenges.
this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon on 28 April.STEVE AN N A
BLAND SKEVINGTON
38, CHESHIRE 27, CALNE
Charity: Macmillan Cancer Support Charity: Macmillan Cancer Support
The late Rachael Bland from the BBC podcast You, Both Anna’s parents have been diagnosed with blood
Me and the Big C was set to run the 2018 Virgin cancers, and they have both survived. Her father was
Money London Marathon to celebrate the end of her diagnosed with leukaemia in 2001 and, following a
treatment for breast cancer. However, her treatment combined kidney and pancreas transplant in 2005, he
went on for longer than expected and she had to pull now lives a healthy life.
out, still hoping to run in 2019. Sadly, Rachel’s cancer
spread very quickly and she died in September. In September 2018, Anna’s mother was diagnosed
with Myeloma, making her extremely vulnerable to
Rachael’s husband Steve has recruited a group of other serious infections. Shortly after her diagnosis,
Rachael’s closest friends, who will run the London she was admitted to intensive care with suspected
Marathon to fundraise for MacMillan in her memory. meningitis, sepsis and organ failure; she was in a coma
for five weeks. She also fought back and has learnt to
He said: “Rachael’s death devastated not just her breathe, talk, eat and move independently again.
close family and friends but also so many other
people all over the world who had been touched and Anna has never run a marathon before. She’s been so
impacted by her inspirational story. inspired by her parents’ strength to survive that she
decided to sign up to run the Virgin Money London
“During her treatment Rachael worked tirelessly to Marathon to support other families fighting cancer.
help as many people as she possibly could, through
her blog and the brilliant You, Me and the Big C Anna looks forward to seeing her parents cheer her
podcast, so it seems right that we continue that across the Finish Line.
mission!”
SANDRA SIMON AND JUDITH
ORLANDO STREVENS
71, BRIDLINGTON BOTH IN THEIR 40S, HARLECH
Charity: Macular Society Charity: Parkinson’s UK
Sandra lives with macular degeneration, a common Simon, who is a former Parachute Regiment soldier,
condition that affects the middle part of vision, and learned he had early onset Parkinson’s in 2017 at
just days from her 72nd birthday she will be running the age of just 40 – a young age to be diagnosed
the Virgin Money London Marathon to fundraise with the disease. After being diagnosed, Simon and
for a cure. “It’s the leading cause of sight loss in the his wife Judith decided to take on the challenge of
UK, there’s no cure, and treatment, if appropriate, is the Virgin Money London Marathon in order to raise
monthly injections in your eye ball. That usually gets much needed funds for, and awareness of, Parkinson’s
people’s attention.” disease.
A member of Bridlington Road Runners, Sandra only Judith said: “We are running the Virgin Money London
started running as a New Year’s resolution at the age Marathon to give us both a positive focus following
of 64. Since then, she has completed a streak of more Simon’s diagnosis.
than 500 continuous days of running at least a mile,
and qualified to represent England in her age group “Not only are we hoping to raise awareness of
at the marathon distance. It was her impressive times Parkinson’s disease as well as much needed funds but
that secured her a place at this year’s Virgin Money improving our own health and wellbeing at the same
London Marathon. time.”
“Although I remain optimistic that I will continue to Simon and Judith Stevens will join a team of more
lead a normal life, I want to take the opportunity now, than 200 runners aiming to raise £325,000 for
through my London Marathon run, to raise money Parkinson’s UK.
towards research into finding a cure,” she says.LE O N AMY
MCLEOD REDDEN
31, LONDON 29, TONBRIDGE
Charity: PTSD999 Charity: Plymouth Hospitals General Charity
Police Constable Leon McLeod was one of the first 29-year old Amy was hit by a car when its driver fell
three police officers on the scene at the London asleep at the wheel. Amy’s back was broken and she
Bridge terror attacks on 3 June 2017. In 2018 he was was in Plymouth Hospital for 17 days.
awarded the Queen’s Gallantry medal for his courage
and bravery shown that night. A keen runner before her accident, Amy thought she
would never run again, but the support of her mum
Now he’s running the Virgin Money London Marathon and the trauma department at Plymouth Hospital
for PTSD999. and hopes to raise £10,000. saw her make a steady recovery. Soon after being
discharged she entered the ballot, vouching to make a
He said: “My life and career changed in a way I could full recovery.
never have prepared for. We stepped into a situation
that I can hardly find the right words to explain. She said: “I really thought I would never run again. The
Although I didn’t sustain the physical injuries, or future was completely unknown in every aspect of
worse, that so many others unfortunately did, the my life but especially where running was concerned.
events have no doubt left their mark. But filling in the application form for the 2019 Virgin
Money London Marathon gave me hope”.
“Many of my colleagues that responded to calls for
assistance have been affected, but while this event Amy is on her way back to full strength but the 26.2-
was beyond the norm, emergency services personnel mile race will be the ultimate challenge and one she is
are faced with traumatic events on a daily basis. relishing. “I’m most looking forward to taking it all in...
because I’m here and I can!”
“It’s been a difficult two years since that night but this
is my opportunity to raise money for a charity that’s
helped me and many others I hold close.”
C HA RL O TTE LOUIS E
WONG BLIZZARD
27, MANCHESTER 43, WARRINGTON
Charity: Willow Foundation
Charlotte was diagnosed with breast cancer at the Louise Blizzard (nee Cooper) will be running her 25th
age of 25. Instead of being a head-strong, determined London Marathons this year, having crossed the Finish
mid-twenties woman she became a cancer patient. Line almost 24 years in a row, excluding 2010 when
she took a year off to have a baby. Louise ran the
Since finishing her treatment, Charlotte joined a 1994 London Marathon, aged 18, with her father who
gym and got back into running. Six months later she she lost along the course and unexpectedly beat to
entered the Virgin Money London Marathon ballot and the Finish Line to qualify for the elite women’s field.
was successful. She started training straight away:
“I remember the elite field in those days was small
“I still have left-over pain in my legs from chemo so with only a handful of British runners really and we
running isn’t easy for me,” she says. “I am much slower were with all the internationals and my heroes!”
than I was pre-cancer, but I am still going!”
Now Louise has gone on to run a total of 54
Willow is the only national charity working with marathons and she continues to run each year, saying:
seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 to create “Running gives me confidence. When I cross a Finish
Special Days, and through this Charlotte was able to Line I am reminded that I can do anything.
see Adele live in concert with her sister.
Louise’s husband and son, Alfie (8) will be cheering
She said: “For that one night, I was no longer a cancer her on as she crosses the London Marathon Finish
patient!” Line on the 28 April for the 25th time.You can also read
