Doncaster charity runner to tackle London Marathon for hospice
A Doncaster woman is set to put her best foot forward at this year’s London Marathon as she raises funds for her local hospice charity.
Amanda Smith, 47, a Fraud Prevention Lead at the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, will join more than 55,000 runners at the Greenwich start line of the world-famous 26.2-mile race on Sunday, 26 April.
She is running in aid of St John’s Hospice in Balby, in memory of family friend Lynn Hissey, who received end-of-life care there in 2020.
Amanda, from Rossington, said: “I wanted to raise funds as a way of saying thank you for the wonderful care Lynn received. She took up running at 60 and completed a 10k, so this feels like a fitting way to remember her.”
Although Amanda has previously completed marathons in 2014 and 2017, this year’s challenge holds special significance.
Not only will it be her first London Marathon but taking part at all marks a major personal achievement.
Amanda lives with Lupus, and a flare-up, along with major surgery in 2023 left her unable to walk or work for two months.
She added: “I didn’t run for over a year, and when I did return, I had to start from scratch.
"This will be an emotional run for me personally, but when I learned how much the hospice needs to raise through charity fundraising each year, it felt right to take on the challenge and help.”
Amanda is now in week five of her 16-week training plan, hitting the pavements four times a week, training twice with Doncaster Harriers Running Club and completing the remaining runs solo.
St John’s Hospice Fundraising Manager Jenny Baynham said: “We are incredibly grateful to Amanda for choosing to support our hospice charity.
“We need to raise at least £680,000 every year to continue delivering all our services, so we truly appreciate her support and wish her the very best of luck in her epic challenge.”
Anyone wishing to sponsor Amanda can visit her Just Giving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ananda-smith-1765369900634?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=LI
St John’s Hospice is run by Rotherham Doncaster & South Humber NHS Trust (RDaSH) and is part of its Your Hearts and Minds charity.
For more information on how to support St John’s Hospice, please visit: www.yourheartsandminds.org.uk