Ryan Oakes, Stacey O’Donnell, Louise Boswell, Kimberley Ely and Lily Watson will be battling the pre-run nerves and preparing for the 26.6 miles challenge on Sunday 21 April. The group are a hearty mix of experienced runners right through to first-timers, taking on the challenge for a range of charities which are all close to their hearts.
Kimberley Ely, who works as a Domestic Supervisor, is running in aid of The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) after her 19-year-old son Jacob suddenly lost his sight due to a rare condition – Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy.
Kimberley, who has been training hard over the last few weeks for her challenge, said: “I had wanted to do this marathon before I was 30…I’m now 42 and I finally have my chance. I am not fit by any means, but I have always told my children you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take.”
Ryan Oakes has worked in the NHS for 10 years, and is now an orthopaedic technician working in the plaster room which is part of the fracture clinic at QEH. Ryan is a keen runner and ran the Manchester marathon in 2023. He commented: “I ran a qualifying time last year at Manchester marathon in 2 hours 49 minutes and I was fortunate enough to get selected for a place. My aim this year is to enjoy the route and take in the scenery and have a good chat with other runners on route.”
Healthcare Assistant, Stacey O’Donnell, is a self-confessed ‘non-runner’. However, her motivation to complete run is to raise as much money as she can for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) whose team rescued her three daughters when they got into difficultly off the coast of Brancaster in 2013.
Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Louise Boswell is running to raise funds for Nephrotic Syndrome Trust (NeST), which is a rare kidney disease close to Louise’s heart as it is a condition her son suffers from.
Lily Watson, Patient Pathway Co-Ordinator in the Cancer Services team has signed up in aid of Macmillian Cancer Support. Lily made the choice to support Macmillan after her Nan sadly died of Oesophageal Cancer. The charity supported Lily and her family through this difficult time and she felt she wanted to give something back to the charity.
Alice Webster, QEH CEO, said: “We’d like to wish all The QEH runners taking part in the TCS London Marathon the best of luck for the day. We are immensely proud of you all.”
You can support the Team QEH runners here:
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