London Marathon effort for Fair Close

A NEWBURY woman has dusted off her running shoes to start training for the London Marathon to raise money for the Fair Close Centre.

Yvie Magee, 37, signed up for the 2019 event without having been to a gym or doing any running for more than a decade.

She said: “On July 10, 2018, I put on my trainers and started couch to 5k with the knowledge that I was running the London Marathon 2019.

“I wanted to make a change to my lifestyle and to help a local charity and I’m so happy to be running for the Fair Close Centre as they do so much for the older community in Newbury and that is a subject close to my heart.

“My mother passed away two years ago and did so much for the elderly community where she lived and when she died I saw how lonely my father was after 50 years of marriage.

“Thankfully, he had a large family to support him, but others don’t and it must be very isolating to have nowhere to go.

“That’s why places like Fair Close are so vital.

“I am feeling the highs and lows of training, but I’m determined to give it my all as it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It’s quite an emotional journey.

“I can only relate it to my experience of being pregnant for the first time – the fact I’m training for it in just nine months is also quite a parallel.

“You look up too much about labour – or the marathon – on the internet.

“You meet people who have been through it and tell you how tough and amazing it is.

“Your mind is consumed by it, you want to eat healthily for the baby – or the marathon.

“You also want to eat chocolate because of it all.”

She is aiming to raise £2,000 and has so far raised £760.

People can donate via www.virginmoneygiving.com/fairclose