Pair fought through pain and heartache to raise £4,800 for cancer charity
A determined Ottery couple fought through pain and heartache to complete their mammoth mission and raise £4,800 for FORCE Cancer Charity.
It took blood, sweat and tears, but Tracey and Guy Paddon never gave up on their marathon challenge to run more than 100 miles in eight days – covering some of the West Country’s toughest terrain.
The couple, of Raleigh Road, began by tackling 20 miles of mud, hills, bogs and beach to complete this year’s gruelling Grizzly race from Seaton to Branscombe.
The following weekend they took on the Jurassic Coast Challenge – three marathons in three days from Charmouth to Studland Bay.
First-time marathon runner Tracey said: “My dad died in the middle of our training and I also lost a colleague to cancer, so it was very emotional doing the event and when we finally came over the finish line I had a really good cry.”
Regional transport manager Guy is a seasoned long-distance runner, having completed 11 marathons, 60 half marathons and ironman events, but Tracey had never attempted the full 26.2 miles before.
The senior fitness and pilates instructor at Ottery Leisure Centre suffered serious blisters and lost toenails, but says it is all worth it to give something back to the charity that helps people who have been affected by cancer.
She added: “It was hard, but it was amazing. It was cold and windy, but luckily it didn’t rain. The climbs were very steep and got worse every day. I couldn’t have done it without Guy.
“FORCE is a fantastic charity that helps so many people. I just wanted to do my bit and give something back, but I’ve been blown away by the support we’ve received.
“People have been very generous.”
Tracey qualified in cancer rehabilitation on a course funded by FORCE and now helps patients referred to her by the Exeter-based charity, conducting one-to-one fitness assessments and designing individual exercise programmes for each person.
She says it is incredibly rewarding to see how people blossom and grow in confidence through her work.
Find out more about the cause by visiting: www.forcecancercharity.co.uk.
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