HALF OF THE TEAM: PHILIPPA JANE COTTON

A lot of people say I am eccentric. A lot of people say my family are eccentric. I have only one thing to say about this.... We are. And proud. 

And I think that a lot of this is down to Peg.

Peg is one of my grandmas. I'm sure a lot of you will have heard me talk about her. She has Alzheimers. This involves her doing hilarious things escaping from care homes and jumping over fences, running off through fields with 24 profiteroles under her arm, shouting BALLS DAVID B A DOUBLE L S at my dad, calling everybody queer (in the old fashioned sense of the word), saying inappropriate things and repeating herself a million times. Every time we see her we spend most of the time laughing.

But sadly, if we didn't laugh we might cry. Peg was such an intelligent lady, a teacher and then she carried on tutoring well into her 70s. She knows that she is being "the village idiot", she doesn't recognise her children all the time and she definitely doesn't know who her grandchildren are although she can roll off all 9 of our names no problem. It is confusing and frightening and she gets worked up being around lots of people for too long.

I want to be able to raise money for the Alzheimers Society who both research the disease and care for those with it.

Mrs Cowan, my year 4 teacher, wrote in my autograph book when I was 11, 'See you running the 800m in the 2011 Olympics'. Well, let's face it - she was wrong. But a half marathon is better than a kick up the bum.

Just over a year ago, I was tomfoolerying around and i fell off my 5 inch heels, tore some ligaments in my foot quite badly and ended up on crutches. Despite physio and all that jazz, my foot has never really healed BUT I still am going to get off my fat bum and 'run to the beat'. None of the uni people will have seen my competitive and sporty streak which I have kept well hidden these last few years. (I even donned my lime green and black spikes in the cross country National finals 1999!). Well, it's coming out now and I am going to run with a passion like you have never seen before.

 I might even dance it in true Peggy style.

I know that a half marathon isn't the longest race in the world, but even if you could just give a few pennies, that would be amazing.I didn't really know how much to put as a target but even the smallest amount of money would be epically appreciated. Maybe we will be a step closer to preventing such a debilitating disease.

Love, 

Philly xx

HALF OF THE TEAM: SOPHIE VICTORIA WHITTALL

 Hello,

I will also be running the half marathon with Philly and Peg is also my grandma (sorry if I repeat anything already said above!).  As Philly has said Peg has Alzheimers and we laugh a lot when we see Peg, as if we didn't  we would just cry. One funny time I always remember is sitting around the Christmas table and Peg shouting out 'Has everyone got their Knickers on'!

I have started my training but I am definitely not a naturally gifted runner, it takes some work, so over the next few months I will have to do some serious training.  Rest assured I will not be partaking in a diet of fried fish fingers, fruit pastilles, wine gums and twix, which was Saturday night tea when Peg used to babysit for us.

When you know someone with alzheimers it is very sad when they forget who you are and get worked up because they know they can't remember, so please sponsor us with any spare change you have. We are raising money for the Alzheimers Society to help them research this disease and care for people who have it. 

I'll keep you posted on our progress and please do let me know if anyone wants to join me on a training run :-)

Love from

Sophiexx