MY BEST BIT OF BLING

ITDON’T MEANA THINGIFITAIN’T GO TTHAT BLING! 10 WOMEN SHOW US THEIR FAVOURITE MEDALS AND SHARE WHY THEY’RE SOSPECL

WORDS: LISA JACKSON

My first time

“This may not be my blingiest medal, but it’s very special as it marks the start of my marathon journey, when I discovered that I’m made of sterner stuff than I knew. I had been a full-time carer for my mum who had dementia and I ran the 2004 Loch Ness Marathon to stick two fingers up at this devastating disease. Little did I know that, 12 miles into the marathon, my ITB would seize up completely, forcing me to choose between pulling out or walk/staggering the remaining 14 miles, a distance I’d never even walked before. I walked, and so began my crusade to raise awareness about dementia. I’ve now completed 110 marathons and raised £50,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”

SUSIE HEWER, 59, FROM EWHURST GREEN, EAST SUSSEX

My second time

“I love this medal from the second time I ran the Brighton Marathon. I felt elated having got through the horrible bit by the old power station in Shoreham. The previous year I could have done with more power during that particular stretch myself! The medal made all those early morning training sessions and long runs on a Sunday seem worth the sacrifice, and I beat my 2014 time by 21 minutes, which was an utterly incredible feeling.”