MISSION P0SSIBLE

LISA JACKSON MEETS THREE ORDINARY WOMEN WHO’VE USED RUNNING TO RAISE EXTRAORDINARY SUMS FOR CHARITY

FUNDRAISERS

“I’VE RAISED OVER £20,000 IN HONOUR OF MY SISTER WHO HAS MS”

Laura with her sister Amanda

“When my younger sister Amanda became horribly ill with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2001, I felt utterly hopeless and really frustrated that there was nothing I could do to help her feel better,” says Laura Lane, 37, from St Albans. “MS affects people in different ways and, in Amanda’s case, she lost the ability to walk and had to use a wheelchair and it also affected her eyesight. She was continually in and out of hospital for steroid treatment and had a really tough time of it. I was a bit overweight, working long hours, and a smoker. I definitely wasn’t a runner at that time, but knew that running a marathon would be a great way to raise money for MS. So I entered the 2002 London Marathon. I felt that would be a really positive response to a terribly difficult situation.

“So I set about training through a long, dark, wet winter with my friend Kellie. The training was hard – but the fundraising was even harder. However, I kept reporting on my efforts through regular updates on my work intranet and ended up raising £4,000 for the MS Society. I felt very emotional when I reached the finish line in 5:59 – but was also itching to do it again as I knew I could’ve done it faster! The highlight of my entire fundraising experience was when my sister posted on Facebook saying how proud she was of me. I’m incredibly proud of her too!