Harry Skinner
Harry Skinner's tribute to Elena Baltacha (1983-2014)
Fundraising for Children's Liver Disease Foundation
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my fundraising page, which I've created to raise money for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation. Elena Baltacha (Bally), passed away from liver cancer in May 2014. Her death shook the British tennis community, for it came just six months after a healthy Bally had retired from competitive tennis. Bally was British No.1 for many years; she was a British Fed Cup stalwart, played in multiple Grand Slams, reaching the 3rd round in singles at the Australian Open, and achieving a career high of No. 49 in the world.
Bally was widely regarded as one of the kindest, most genuine, caring souls in the tennis community. In her later competitive years, she had set up the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis (EBAT) with her husband, Nino Severino. I was lucky enough to train with her for four years and call her a friend. I haven't met anyone who had a bad word to say about Bally. She will be forever missed by those of us who knew her.
As I've always wanted to run the London Marathon, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to run it and raise money for the CLDF, the charity of which she was patron. Bally was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) at 19 years of age. PSC affects the bile ducts in the liver and from that point onward, Bally would have to take up to 16 tablets a day and refrain from alcohol at all times. To think she achieved what she did in tennis whilst managing a condition such as this - it speaks volumes about her strength of character. So whilst training for and running my marathon will be tough, I will not complain, for Bally never once complained about anything, or said "I can't”.
I’m thrilled to be doing this in honour of my friend and any donations are much appreciated by both myself and the CLDF
Harry
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