Summary:

Why pancreatic cancer? My 92 year old dad died from this last year.

Why 3 marathons in 3 months? To make it an extra tough challenge for me . 

More detail: 

My dad was diagnosed in October last year with pancreatic cancer.  He walked into the hospital for tests, and never went home again. About 3 weeks after his diagnosis, he died. I have heard of this being the case for many others since, and it is heart-breaking. It’s unacceptable that more than half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within 3 months. Survival rates have improved enormously for most cancers, yet for pancreatic cancer, this is not the case. Pancreatic Cancer UK is dedicated to taking on this injustice using every possible means. They're supporting people with pancreatic cancer now, campaigning, and funding vital research to transform the future. Help them to make the breakthroughs that people with pancreatic cancer so desperately need.

I want to do my bit to try and reduce the likelihood of other families being plunged into the abyss of grief that we experienced so suddenly. Dad was otherwise a fit 92 year-old, striding around his village, enjoying a full retirement - and then he wasn’t. 

As for me? Well, I hit 60 last year and began my own retirement, from teaching, which had been Dad’s career.  I took up running a bit more seriously about 10 years ago and ran my first and second marathons in 2018. A third followed the next year, and now I’m trying to double that number within a matter of weeks, in order to challenge myself.  One of my dad’s messages for life was that if you really want to do something, you can.  I hope that in this challenge, I can prove him right! 

I secured a place in the London Marathon through Pancreatic Cancer UK, which is hugely exciting and it will be my centrepiece marathon! But, I do have to raise a lot of money.  By publishing my page now, I’m hoping some of you will give now to encourage me, and give again as I complete my first, or second or third marathons - or even give for all 3! 

(Little bit of poignant information: London marathon 2022 is on the nearest Sunday to my dad’s birthday.) 

Be warned, I shall be updating this page regularly  with news of my training.

Thank you for reading this.