Pendleside Hospice’s Inpatients Team Leader, Sarah Olyott, is continuing her training for the London Marathon and raising money for the hospice.
Despite the annual April marathon being postponed to October due to the coronavirus outbreak, Sarah is keeping on running and raising, seeing this as extra time to collect even more vital funds for Pendleside.
She originally started fundraising through 'Memory Miles', where sponsors could choose one of the 26 gruelling miles and dedicate it to a loved one, with all names printed on Sarah’s running jersey.
All of the Memory Miles have since sold out but Sarah is still collecting sponsorship for the marathon, which is now scheduled to take place on Sunday 4th October. Her target has been set at £2,000.
Sarah said: “I feel honoured to be running each mile in memory of much missed loved ones and also to complete this amazing opportunity to run the London Marathon for Pendleside, who I am so proud to represent both professionally and personally.
“Running has always been a positive outlet for me and while I’m obviously disappointed the marathon has been postponed, I’m remaining positive because this gives me seven extra months to raise more money and to train, potentially getting a faster finishing time.”
The first sponsor to claim a Memory Mile was Mel Simm (pictured) who sadly lost her husband Zac Simm last year.
Sarah said: “Mel is a good friend of mine and I helped to care for Zac and the whole family while they were going through the unimaginable. Mel was more than happy to support me with the marathon and I’m so grateful for the support.”
While this is Sarah’s first marathon, as a keen runner she’s been training since November with help from her partner – she’s currently running four times a week, with three short runs during the week and a longer run at the weekend.
She said: “The London Marathon has been an ambition of mine for a long time and as a nurse at the hospice, I get to see first-hand where money raised goes – towards providing vital care and support for our community.
“I’m hoping to raise as much money as I possibly can to add to the Memory Miles total – I can’t believe these sold out as quickly as they did but I know that as well as feeling exhausted on the day, I’ll also be very emotional and proud and as I cross the finish line in my Pendleside vest displaying all their names.”
To make a donation and support Sarah’s London Marathon fundraiser, please visit http://bit.ly/SarahLondonMarathon