Anna Wilson
Anna's running for Andy
Fundraising for Cancer Research UK
Story
I'm so happy to say that I finished the 10k in a frankly surprising time of 1:14:43, something I don't think I could have achieved without my partner in crime, the lovely Katherine Thornton being with me every step of the way (think of the butt, think of the butt...!)
It was by far one of the most physically and emotionally challenging things I've ever had to do, so thank you to those who saw me off at the start and were there for me at the finish line. My grand total raised was £10,335, and as part of the 'Run for Andy' team this has helped to raise a whopping total of £28,813.22 for Cancer Research - words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who donated, I never thought I would raise that much when I first started!
Thank you for all your support, I really hope the amount we've raised makes a big difference for another family that may be going/ have gone through a similar situation. I can almost hear my dad's voice telling me "Well done, spin".
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In late 2013 my dad Andrew Wilson was diagnosed with bowel and lung cancer. In a style that was typical of my dad, he saw it simply as just another problem to fix, with an attitude that was devoid of any sense of self-pity or resentment.
He started a chemotherapy trial in a bid to fix the problem which lasted for a couple of months, however the cancer he had was simply too aggressive. A few weeks after a second operation, dad succumbed to the cancer at around 11:20am on May 15th 2014, with his family by his side.
It has been lovely to read and hear the near-constant stream of messages of love and support, condolences, and testaments from friends and colleagues of his character.
Dad was always an active man having run the London and New York Marathons numerous times (for reasons I've never been able to understand!) so I wanted to do something in his memory that helps reflect the kind of man I saw him as - ambitious, honest, and motivating to say the least. I'll be thinking of him around the track, and if I start to flag I like to think I'll remember what he said to me in a speech he made at my 21st Birthday to help me get round the rest of the way;"Shoot for the moon - even if you miss you'll land among the stars."
This page is also a child of my uncle Alex McEwan's JustGiving page, who ran the London Marathon 2014 with a fantastic time of 3.40 and raising close to £16k in the process; http://www.justgiving.com/alexmacewen