48-year-old Samantha Jones will be taking part in the Simplyhealth Great North Run alongside her husband, Ed, to raise money for Epilepsy Action.
The duo, from Freshwater, will join around 57,000 other runners in the prestigious half-marathon on Sunday (9th September). The world’s biggest half-marathon, the Simplyhealth Great North Run begins in Newcastle, winds across the Tyne Bridge and finishes in South Shields.
Samantha is taking part in the race for Epilepsy Action because both she and her son have epilepsy. The charity provides advice and support to the 600,000 people with the condition in the UK.
Samantha explains:
“My first seizure started with an aura whilst I was driving. I parked up and the next thing I remember is being picked up from the ground of the car park by paramedics. My son, Will, who was 8 at the time, used to find it really scary to see me having seizures. He went on to develop epilepsy himself when he was 14.
“This is our third year of doing the Great North Run, and second time for running for Epilepsy Action. I’m feeling excited and nervous but love doing it. It is my favourite run and I look forward to doing every year. Training is going really well. We’ve reached 13.1 miles in our training, so I’m really pleased with that.
“When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy, I struggled to find any information or support groups about it. I’d lost my driving licence, was relying on my dad and husband for lifts and we were all feeling afraid and anxious. My family were afraid to leave me on my own but also afraid of being left on their own with me. When my son was diagnosed, we found the Epilepsy Action website. It’s full of amazing information. My son loves to play rugby and his consultant was able to use the information on the website to find ways we could make it safe for him to continue. It’s great to be able to run and raise money they can use to continue their work.”
Amy Hesselden, fundraising events officer at Epilepsy Action, said:
“It is fantastic that Sam is joining the 115 people taking part in the Great North Run for Epilepsy Action this year. Collectively, this year’s team are aiming to raise over £45,000 to help make a huge difference to people living with epilepsy.”
Epilepsy affects around one in every 100 people in the UK and 87 people are diagnosed with the condition every day. Each year, Epilepsy Action’s services are used over a million times. The charity is committed to improving the lives of people with epilepsy, by campaigning for better services and raising awareness of the condition. It provides a national network of support groups, holds regular regional events and Epilepsy Action Helpline on Freephone 0808 800 5050.
Anyone wishing to sponsor Samantha and Ed can find their Just Giving page: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-jones91.
