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Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
PE teacher aces testing London Marathon to raise nearly £3k for St Andrew's Hospice
Andrew Kennedy, 26, defied an injury suffered a few weeks before the event to complete the race in an impressive three hours, one minute and 15 seconds - and raise £2900 for the Airdrie charity. A Glenmavis PE teacher put himself through his paces as he aced the testing London Marathon in aid of St Andrew's Hospice. Andrew Kennedy defied an injury suffered a few weeks before the event to complete the race in an impressive three hours, one minute and 15 seconds - and raise £2900 for the Airdrie charity. The 26-year-old, who teaches PE at Calderhead High School in Shotts, has fundraised for the hospice since 2022 and has always been a keen runner. Andrew explained how he secured his spot at the London Marathon but then endured a setback during the build-up. He told Lanarkshire Live: "I saw that the hospice was advertising a place in the London Marathon and, six weeks before the event, I got a call from them saying I had secured the spot and they'd known had done a couple of previous marathons for the hospice. "I then got injured a couple of weeks before the marathon and was worried I wouldn't be able to do it. "But adrenaline kicked in on the day of the event, which helped the pain, and I ended up just suffering normal marathon pain, mainly cramps, during and after the race. "I was hoping to complete the marathon under three hours but did it in three hours, one minute and 15 seconds, which I was pleased with given my injury and the heat on the day." Andrew, who also took part in the Manchester Marathon last year, had a "wonderful" experience in the English capital. He said: "The London Marathon was absolutely brilliant and the excitement for it grew and grew in the build-up. "The crowds and support were unbelievable and the buzz outstanding; it gives you that extra bit of incentive. "I wanted to enjoy it and take everything in as you sometimes don't appreciate some of the landmarks you are running past. "My girlfriend travelled down to support me and when we met up afterwards it was a really humbling experience. "My legs were done and I got her on the phone and when we were walking down Whitehall I was in my socks and my legs had cramped up and I couldn't walk. "So people came to help me and I even asked a family if they had sugary sweets and they kindly gave me some. "Afterwards was the best cold pint of beer I've ever had in my life! "When I walked into school the next day I asked the kids if they could set up stuff for PE and they were glad to help as they knew I was done in!" Andrew is a passionate supporter of St Andrew's Hospice - and is extremely grateful for the financial backing he received from kind-hearted people during his latest fundraising effort. He said: "When I was a pupil at St Margaret's High in Airdrie the school had a lot of involvement with the hospice. "I am also an Airdrieonians fan and the club has a link with the hospice too, and used to have it as the team's shirt sponsor. "I hear of friends who know someone who has been in the hospice and the work they do is amazing. "I am always happy to give up my time for the hospice. "Running is easy; the hard bit is asking people to put their hands in their pockets, especially with the cost of living. "I managed to raise £2900 for the hospice this time around and I can't thank people enough for their contributions. "The hospice couldn't be more appreciative with the amount and it's great to be able to do something to help them out." *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Daily Record
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Killie Striders embrace marathon challenge as club members take on top events
The club had 27 members taking on 26.2 mile challenges across two separate events A remarkable 27 members from Killie Striders tackled two separate marathons on the same day recently - leaving their head coach 'bursting with pride'. The club had 25 runners complete the 26.2-mile Manchester Marathon, with another two taking on the London version on the same day. The challenge was made all the more difficult by the unseasonably hot temperatures and gruelling humidity. Runners from all ages, abilities and experience took part and head coach Rosie McGrane believes that shows what can be achieved with goals, support and the camaraderie that being inolved in a running club can bring. Speaking to the Standard, she said: 'To have 27 runners completing a marathon on the same day was quite an achievement and it's something that has me, and everyone at the club, bursting with pride. 'We had runners from every age category between 20s and 60s, we had folk running in under four hours and others who crossed the line in over six hours and everything in between. 'The heat was actually really difficult and it's something that you can't really train for, not with any regularity in Scotland anyway, that's for sure.' She added: 'I'm really just overwhelmed by the commitment and effort they all put in, training throughout the winter to then be running on a roasting hot day and completing it. I'm really just so proud of them all. 'Most of them started as beginners with our club, some even just in the last year or two and have worked up from not really running at all to then taking on marathons. 'We have one runner who joined us three years ago and Manchester was his seventh marathon. It's a tremendous achievement and I think it's something that goes to show you what can be done if you push and challenge yourself.' Rosie revealed, too, the importance of the club to some of the members and the challenges they've come through. She said: 'Running for a lot of people can really benefit your mental health. I hear and have been told stories from our members about the role it's helped play which is so important. 'There's a real social aspect and togetherness at the club. It can help bring people through difficult or challenging times. 'We have people who are cancer survivors, or have been bereaved, or are struggling with their mental health or battling illnesses either themselves or know family and friends who are and the people they meet through the club have helped them. 'Running, I know, has been a massive part of that and being part of a club and making friends.' The club boasts around 150 regular members, many of whom will be tackling Kilmarnock's Roon the Toon 10k this weekend. Rosie, and her fellow coaches, say they work hard to ensure programmes are detailed and specific to each person's needs and goals. She insists that flexibility and personal touch is key to the club's success. She said: 'We take from beginners to advanced, with six levels. We've got every level of running and the only barrier is you have to be 18 or over. How I see it is that as soon as you put one foot in front of the other, you're an athlete 'We're inclusive to anyone who wants to come along and we can take you from being an absolute non-runner to helping you achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. 'The club has our Couch to 5k and then beyond and you can work your way through the categories if you wish. 'But we don't just teach you how to run. We work on technique and work on position and posture, the sort of things that help you avoid injuries. 'The coaching staff are all very passionate and put in a huge amount of time and effort into the club. We all love to see runners progress and reach their targets.' She added: 'Everyone has their own goals and our aim is to get you there. We take time to work on specific plans for each runner. 'Some maybe just want to be able to go for a run to clear their head every so often, some maybe want to look at competing in marathons. We can adjust to whatever you want.'
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Mum runs Bradford 10k in memory of toddler who died from epilepsy
A mother whose daughter died from a rare epilepsy syndrome is running Bradford 10k in her memory, 10 years after her Murphy, from Pudsey, will be joined by nine of her friends and family to run the race on Sunday, after completing the Manchester Marathon in Edie died in October 2015 after a seizure caused by hemiplegia Hemiconvulsion syndrome."It's so, so rare," says Ms Murphy. "When the doctor first spoke to us about it, they said that usually, unfortunately, when they have this seizure, because it can't be controlled, the child will likely pass away."So it's one of those things you don't know your child has until they have this seizure. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any testing or any other way to detect it."I only know one other family whose child has hemiplegia Hemiconvulsion syndrome, and we found that after Edie died and the family reached out to me from Australia." Edie's illness became apparent in April 2015 when she began experiencing febrile convulsions."Edie had a fever then a febrile convulsion in the April, as she had croup, and she had a really high temperature. In the October, she was a bit poorly again with a bit of a cold."The family were moving from Edinburgh to Yorkshire that weekend, and were preparing for the long drive when Edie had another seizure. "My husband went up to check on her and I just knew from the way that he shouted my name that something was wrong."I just knew. I don't know why, because it could have been multiple things. But how he sounded was how I had shouted him when she had the seizure the first time."The only way doctors were able to stop Edie's seizure was by inducing a coma. After five days Ms Murphy and her husband, Tom, were told she had hemiplegia Hemiconvulsion syndrome."They were never able to bring her out of the seizure," says Ms Murphy. "They tried to reduce the sedation but her body was just too damaged." Weeks later, Ms Murphy began fundraising for Edinburgh Children's Hospital charity and 10 years later the family has raised more than £35,000 for charities including Millie Wright Children's Charity and Epilepsy Action."When we had her funeral, we were sat with all our friends and they started saying, 'I'll do something' and we kind of grew this list," she says."So 2016 became the year of running because we did all the 10ks, but I kept adding things like half marathons and then we did the Yorkshire Marathon."It gave us a way to parent her, even though she wasn't here."We just needed something to focus on other than the fact she died and I liked it in a way because it gave people something to talk to us about."Running was also a way for Ms Murphy to help process her grief - and get some time to herself, as she was also raising her two other daughters, Annie and Eilidh."We used to go out for a run and put music on and it was half an hour to get away from everything and sometimes I'd be crying because a song would come on and I'd be thinking it's Edie's favourite song. "But then the next song would come on and I'd remember her dancing around the kitchen or getting the words slightly wrong."Now, when anybody thinks about us running, they think of Edie. So it was a positive something for her."The family is now raising awareness about hemiplegia Hemiconvulsion syndrome, as it was something they knew nothing about before Edie's diagnosis."I very naively thought there's a few types of epilepsy. We've spent a lot of time raising awareness of the hospital and they deserve every bit of it because they were amazing, but now I'd quite like to focus more on why she passed away," she says. Ms Murphy first did Bradford 10k in 2019, and has run every race event is organised by the charity Epilepsy Action, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025. This year will also be special for Ms Murphy because she will be part of a group of 10 – all in specially printed T-shirts."These are all friends that I've made from Pudsey and so they've never met Edie," says Ms Murphy. "They've only known her through what we've shared."It means a lot to me that they want to get involved, but it's also a massive challenge for some of them because it's their first proper race and this is the whole reason they've started running." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Glasgow Times
22-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Mum from near Glasgow completes marathon after losing dad
Angela Eadie was one of more than 56,000 runners who crossed the finish line on a hot but historic day in London last month as part of the biggest marathon of all time. It was a momentous moment for the 45-year-old who only took up running after spending almost two years on the sofa comfort eating and watching the weight pile on after the death of her beloved dad Davie Elliot. Now just a few years later she has a London Marathon medal proudly framed at home and next year is set to take on the Paris Half Marathon and Manchester Marathon. Angela with her medal (Image: Sourced) Angela, who lives in Newton Mearns but grew up in Neilston, said: 'London was probably the hardest thing I've done in my life, but it was definitely up there with one of the top five experiences I've ever had. 'The crowd was insane, so noisy but so powerful. 'Now I've signed up for Manchester. That's me in the swing of it and I'm going to do the Paris Half Marathon as well. 'I think my dad would probably say I was mad.' Angela shared a close bond and a birthday with her dad Davie (Image: Sourced) Angela was cheered on during the event by sons Samuel and Charlie and husband Graeme, who has been a great support to her during her running journey. Angela's husband Graeme and two sons travelled down to London to cheer her on (Image: Sourced) Thanks to those who got behind her, she has raised £4,500 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The charity is close to her heart, particularly after the support they gave to her dad in his final days. Angela and her brother Jonathan gave palliative care to their dad in his own home before he passed away, just 10 days after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Towards the end, however, they were joined by a Marie Curie nurse called Maureen, who Angela has described as an 'angel'. Angela ran the marathon for Marie Curie Cancer Care (Image: Sourced) In the aftermath of his death, the mum-of-two hit 'an all-time low' before waking up one morning and thinking enough was enough and downloading the Couch to 5k app and completing its programme. She had originally intended to take on the London marathon last year but a knee injury thwarted her plans. Determined to make it to the event this year, she began working on strength training with sports therapist Ryan O'Neill at Whitecraigs Rugby Club last August. This work and the running plan adapted to her injury which he made for her made all the difference as she prepared for and conquered the gruelling event. Angela during the marathon (Image: Sourced) 'I ran the full 26 miles injury free in four hours and 44 minutes,' explained Angela who caught a virus in the days leading up to the marathon which threatened to put an end to her dream for a second time. 'It's just such a great feeling. 'For me running is now not about losing weight, which was my main goal back when I did the Couch to 5k. "It's about the challenges and what's next because it's dead exciting and it gives you something to keep you going. 'For anyone considering getting into it, I would say just do it and do strength training. "Running will make you feel amazing and like you can do anything.'
Powys County Times
17-05-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Builth Wells mum raises £1,200 for Wales Air Ambulance
A mother of three from Builth Wells has raised £1,200 for the Wales Air Ambulance by completing the Manchester Marathon. Kelly Edwards, a member of the Builth and District Running Club, finished her first marathon in five hours, 17 minutes, and 29 seconds. She decided to take on the challenge in gratitude for the air ambulance's role in saving her mother after a quad bike accident in 2007. Ms Edwards said: "In 2007, my mum had a serious quad bike accident and was airlifted to hospital. "With the help of our amazing emergency services and the NHS, she went on to make a full recovery, following some time in critical care. "We are very grateful to the Wales Air Ambulance and emergency services that helped my mum." Mrs Edwards, who has previously completed the Cardiff Half Marathon in 2018 and 2019, decided to run a marathon when she turned 40 as a personal challenge. Her running coach, Bob Smith, provided her with a training plan and support throughout her preparation. Reflecting on her achievement, Ms Edwards said: "I'm very pleased to have completed my first ever marathon. "It went well and I really enjoyed the day, however, I was just not prepared for the very warm weather. "On the day, my family were there to support me and were cheering me on every few miles. "The crowds were great, there was lots of music, choirs, and hose pipes." The trading standards officer was thrilled to have surpassed her £500 fundraising target. She said: "I am really pleased and grateful to all that have supported the cause." Kate Thomas, Mid Wales regional fundraising manager for the Wales Air Ambulance, said: "Congratulations Kelly on your huge achievement. "It is touching to hear that when a family member has needed the help of the Wales Air Ambulance, that someone like Kelly will go on to fundraise for us. "We're pleased to hear that her mum, Andrea, has now made a full recovery. "We are extremely grateful to Kelly for raising an incredible £1,200 for our lifesaving service. "Thank you to everyone who helped Kelly, prior to the day, on the day, or who donated. "You've all played a part in saving lives across Wales." The Wales Air Ambulance requires £11.2 million annually to keep its helicopters and rapid response vehicles operational. The service is consultant-led, providing hospital-standard treatments and, if necessary, transferring patients directly to the most suitable hospital. This approach significantly reduces the time compared to standard care, improving survival and early recovery.
