There were tears of jubilation as the Kingston Lacy Lady runners made it over the line at the Bournemouth Marathon 10k – complete with team member Vicki Piper who trained for the event after battling cancer.
The run was the culmination of a monumental year for the 30-strong running club from Wimborne.
Team member Sarah Harding, explained: “When Vicki told us she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last July we were all devastated.
“We all run together, live near each other and share the ups and downs of each others’ lives.”
Vicki, an occupational therapist at Poole Hospital, had surgery to remove a lump and all the lymph nodes in her left arm, followed by six rounds of gruelling chemotherapy and four weeks of radiotherapy.
Sarah continued: “When Vicki had had her treatment and came back to running, we decided we wanted to do something to show our thanks, to challenge us as a running group, and also do some good for a charity which had helped Vicki and her family. But we didn’t realise quite how big we were going to go!”
In the past 12 months the club has held a Nordic Walk, a garden party – which grew so big it had to move to the village hall – a coffee and cake afternoon and a beach run.
Running the 10k was the ‘icing on the cake’ and has taken the group’s fundraising for Dorset Cancer Care Foundation (DCCF) to over £7000.
Dorset Cancer Care Foundation, which gives financial assistance to Dorset people with cancer, helped Vicki and her husband Martin meet their rent costs for two months during her treatment.
Vicki said: “I feel immensely grateful to DCCF for the help it gave my family in such dark times and so thankful to have so many great friends who have taken me from treatment and illness, to training and wellness.
“I was given the all clear from cancer just days before running the 10k and when I crossed the finish line I felt a huge rush of emotion – accomplishment and jubilation mixed with gratitude for my family, friends and my life.”
Chris Thomas Chairman of DCCF, said: “We want to extend our heartfelt thanks and admiration to Vicki and the rest of the fabulous, Kingston Lacy Lady Runners. Every penny they have raised for us will go straight out to families, like Vicki’s, which are facing adversity because of cancer. We salute them!”
The Kingston Lacy Lady Runners can still be sponsored at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/vicki-piper1
Dorset Cancer Care Foundation has launched the High Five campaign and aims to raise £250,000 in the next 12 months to help even more Dorset families struggling because of cancer.
If you, your friends or business can give £5 or more. Or you would like to arrange your own fundraising event, please visit: www.dccf.co.uk for more information.
Media information: Debbie Granville at Deep South Media on 07884 657782 email: Debbie.granville@deepsouthmedia.co.uk
