Chorley mum completes half marathon for St Catherine's Hospice in Lostock Hall
A primary school teacher has embraced turning 40 by taking up running and completing a half marathon in support of St Catherine’s Hospice.
Elaine Lambert, a mother-of-two who teaches at Penwortham Primary School, wanted to do something positive for herself and the charity to mark her milestone birthday.
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Hide AdShe said: “I turned 40 in February so in the lead up to it, I was thinking about doing something special and a bit different to mark the occasion. My friend Andy Jump was cared for at St Catherine’s in June last year after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and it just opened my eyes to the work of St Catherine’s and made we want to help.
“So as I approached my birthday, I felt like I wanted to do something for my health and my local charity; get fit for 40, and give back to the hospice which helped my friend.
“I started running and was determined to do some park runs and 10k runs, and then I decided to take on the Liverpool Half Marathon with my head teacher Chris Mitchell. I collected sponsorship, and also asked for donations to St Catherine’s instead of presents for my birthday.”
Elaine, from Euxton, raised £400 for the specialist palliative and end-of-life care provided at the Lostock Hall hospice and in people’s own homes across Preston, Chorley and South Ribble.
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Hide AdShe said: “It meant a lot to me that people donated so much. The half marathon itself was really tough, but I felt proud of myself for completing it. I did it in two hours, five minutes and 43 seconds.
“It was really windy on the day with sleet and rain, and I was quite emotional when I finished.
“I’m so glad I’ve taken up running and will definitely keep it up. I’ve started a running club with some of the older children at school, and it feels good to motivate others to get active and look after themselves. I’m delighted that I could give back to St Catherine’s as well, after the care they offered my friend.”