Lincolnshire's Fighting Fit Champion Clare preps for 2025 London Marathon run to raise funds for Lymphoma Action

So, um, if you, can you, can we just start by just you kind of introducing yourself and just telling me, telling us a bit about yourself? OK, so, um, I'm Claire, um, I'm now 56 years of age, um, and I'm just coming up to being 4 years since I, um, completed my treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, um. During this time, um, I've got a, um, a good family of my husband and 3 children who are grown up boys, who have, um, decided to take it upon themselves to raise money for lymphoma action, and, um, we're currently in the midst of training for um the London Marathon. Um, yes, yes, this is going to be my 2nd time round, having done it, um, 11 years ago, um, but obviously now under very different circumstances. Um, yeah

So how many of you are running on the actual day, how many family members are gonna be running with you? So on the day, I've got my husband um who uh ran it last year for lymphoma action, and then I have my son, my youngest, Michael, who ran the London Marathon in 2023. And also last year, ran from John O'Groats to Land's End by the Three Peaks, to raise awareness for lymphoma action, and, um, got the fastest known time in doing so, and ran it in, um, 19 days in a couple. hours

So you're in good company then. Yeah, yeah. So he, he's, um, his achievements or their achievements really, um, of what started, um, me wanting that buzz to, to get out and to run again

And so you, you ran before your cancer diagnosis and then did you have a period of time where you didn't, you, you kind of, you weren't running, you weren't quite as active? Yeah, I mean, I've always enjoyed running. In fact, I, I started running when my mum was poorly um with cancer and just found it um a way to get out and. You know, almost clear my head and deal with what my mum was going through, so I, um, continued to run all the way through up until 2020

Um, and then when I got my diagnosis, that was one of the things I just thought, oh my goodness, I'm, I'm, I'm not gonna be able to run again. Automatically assumed, assumed the worst, um, the, the, the cancer was gonna stop me. Um, that, you know, um, this was gonna be so life changing that, um

You know, I just, it was the fear of the unknown, I just thought that's it, where do we go from here? Um, and I remember when I completed my um chemo, I went out for a run, and it, it was just only a K, but I was just so relieved to be able to say, oh, I've been for a run again. Um, it's just, it's just one of those, um, it's, you know, people have their own things, but for me, I'm not a fast runner, I'm not, you know, a, a good runner, but it is just something that I like to do to, to get out, and it just makes, you know, for my mental health, it just makes me feel really good. So, um, so, yeah, really good

So, so you've, you, so in addition to your training for the London Marathon. You've been, I mean, we initially met as part of the fighting fit, um, 5K that was that that runs from Belton House in Grantham and. And, and you came along to that for the first time

Was it actually on the first meeting, I think it was, wasn't it? Yeah. So how did you find out about that? Well, um, you see, the thing was, I, I when I finished treatment and we moved here because of, because I come, I didn't have my treatment in Lincolnshire. Um, I had my treatment in Northamptonshire

So when we moved here, it was, it's kind of like a a fresh start, and, um, I really wanted to get out and meet people. And obviously, um, I had a friend that I used to be able to go running with, um, regularly before cancer, um, and, you know, the distance meant that we couldn't do it, our circumstances had changed. So it was like I wanted to get out and meet people, and then I was just reading the Grantham Journal, and I saw the advert for fighting fit, and I just thought, oh, this would be amazing to be able to

Kill two birds with one stone, meet people and people that have gone through cancer treatment, cancer diagnosis, or family members that have gone through, um, cancer, because it is a bit of a cliche, but you don't know what it's like until you've been through it yourself. So I really, really, um, wanted to go, but was so nervous, so, um, apprehensive because It's, it's just such a big thing, so yeah, so I, I saw the advert, went right, you know, it's now or never. And, um, got up Saturday morning, parked my car in the car park, went on my own

My husband said, Do you want to come? I said, No, if I'm gonna do this, I've got to do this by myself. And I, I just remember like walking up to the stand and then walking past, and then going back again. And I just caught, um, one of the girl's eyes, and she was like, Are you OK? And I was like, Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah

And then. And just that was it. And then from going from being really apprehensive, and really shy and nervous to just nonstop chatting, um, you know, and I just felt so good and there was a lady that, um, because obviously you can go and you can walk, you can run, you can not bother at all and just go and have a coffee

And I thought, oh, I'll just walk with, um, With the, with the group, and there was a lady there that morning, and she said, no, no, I'm gonna run. And I thought, oh, well, I'll see if I can run with this form she'd gone. I was just like, oh, well, I'm running by myself now

But, um, but no, it was just great. And I, I just got the buzz. I just felt so, so good

It was, it was just so welcoming. Um, so yeah, and it, it's just changed my. Um, feeling about running, it's given me my confidence back to be out there, um, you don't, I don't need to go out and just be on my own, so, um, yeah, it's been so good for me, so good

And have you kind of made friendships within the group, has, has that. Outside of the fighting. So, I mean, you know, obviously, um, we meet once a month, so it's nice to catch up with people once a month

Um, um, yeah, I would, you know, I've, I've tried to get involved, um, with the, with one of the other groups connected, but unfortunately, it doesn't work with work, um, which is so inconvenient. Um, but yeah, no, I think. I think, um, it's, it's really good and it's, it's nice because, you know, I'll bump into people now in, in the shops and stuff

And oh, yeah, you can go to fighting fit and, you know, so yeah, it's, it is good. It's good. We need more people though

It'd be nice to get, um, more people to come down. And I just think if we could reach out and grab those people, they would feel so much better for doing so, for coming down. I think it's kind of getting people, like you had that initial apprehension, didn't you, about being, you know, approaching the group, being part of what what to expect, and I guess it's getting over that hurdle for some people, isn't it? Um

And do you feel that? Being part of the group, not just, not necessarily just the fighting fit group, but everything that you're doing now, the fighting fit, the training for the marathon, how do you feel, feel that's impacted on your physical and mental health? Do you, do you feel much more resilient? Do you know, have you noticed that your resilience levels have increased because of that? Yeah, no, I I I think I feel so much more positive. It's even, you know, um. I, I've, I've just was talking to someone this morning and I feel incredibly privileged to be, um, in the position I'm in, and I don't just mean running the London Marathon, I mean, you know, I've been in remission for coming up for 4 years

That, that's amazing, and I'm, you know, I have that fear, obviously it's gonna come back, um. You know, I don't know, it could be tomorrow, it could be 10 years, what you, you, uh, we don't know with the type of cancer I've got, but um, yeah, I mean, it, being with people that have that understanding of cancer, you know, you just. Want to take life and live it, you know? And I feel that this group, um, has helped me immensely to do that

You appreciate that, you know, there's others around you that have been perhaps through a worse situation than I've been in. Um, and, you know, you sort of feed from the strength, that, that they give you. So, um, yeah, I just

I think it's such such a um a good group that, you know, from that, from being able to just go and run and meet people. Once a week, or sorry, one Saturday a month, I've now joined Grantham Run Club. I would never, you know, so that's now progressed to another stage of meeting people, nothing to do with cancer, nothing to do, you know, that's me getting out, meeting people, running with people

Really, probably a lot of them wouldn't even know what my story is. And that was gonna be my next, my next question. Do you, you know, do you, do you disclose your, your cancer diagnosis, or do you feel like you just don't need to? I just I feel now that like I don't need to

You know, I mean, obviously, if it came up, I would openly discuss it, and I would like to help anybody who is going through or, you know, going through that, um, difficult time of, um, of their life, because let's face it, so many people are affected by cancer, or any long it doesn't have to just be cancer, it's any long term, um, um, disease or illness. Um, but yeah, I mean, probably because of A bit late in the day, but doing some fundraising, more people are actually going to find out now what my story is, but, um, because it's, you know, it's uh BBC have picked up the story, um, in the local news or whatever, so, but, you know, up until that point, I'm just a player that goes to running club, um, you know, so, um. Which is nice

It, it's, you know, it gives you back that choice, doesn't it? It's that choice of whether you want to divulge your cancer diagnosis or whether you just go and be Claire. It's, and that's, that's a nice position to be in, I think, isn't it? Yeah. And that you've got that choice, so

So what um so you're running for lymphoma action, how much are you intending, how much do you want to raise for the charity? Have you set a goal? I haven't um set a goal because um. Over the last 3 years, um, Michael and Brendan and Andrew and Jack and myself, we have, um, obviously been out there asking, begging for, um, um, people to, to sponsor all the challenges that have been done, but we are currently sitting at over 11,000 pounds, and I have to put that mainly down to Michael, because it's Michael's challenges, it's Michael's, you know, um. Phenomenal energy and uh I mean he's like superhuman to have done what he's done

So, um, so yes, for his, his London marathon in 2023, he's running the country, the length of the country, and then Brendan's marathon, um, I'm, I'm just topping up at the moment, so, um, but anything, any donation, large or small, is greatly appreciated. I mean, you know, a lymphoma is. Um, one of the, I think, 5th most common cancers, um, one person in every 28 minutes is diagnosed

There's over 60 different types of lymphoma. I mean, it's, it's, um, it's a tumour, sorry, it's a cancer I knew very little about before I got it. I mean, I, I, I work in cancer services myself, you know, I've um

You know, I've seen my mother go through cancer treatment and pass away from it. It's, it's a horrible disease, um, but yeah, I knew nothing about blood cancer, um, and, and so having lymphoma action there to support me was incredible, particularly because I was diagnosed during COVID. Um, obviously I wasn't able to go to, um, chemo with any, with my husband or with anybody

I had to go on my own, you know, we were always in masks, you know, we were sort of social distancing in the chemo ward. I mean, it was, it was very, it was a very lonely time. Um, and we couldn't go to physical support groups, so the what I had was lymphoma action

So I use them for the knowledge. About lymphoma, um, you know, there's plenty of good literature there, rather than using Doctor Google. And, um, then we had a closed Facebook support group

So, you know, you could ask anything from, like, do I shave my head to, um, you know. I've got a strange sensation, is this normal? I mean, you'd ask each other the most ridiculous questions, but you, but it was needed. Um, so, no, they were great

They've been so supportive. So were you able to attend meetings, so were you able to attend kind of virtual meetings with lymphoma action? Um, they, we didn't, they were online support groups, yes, um. That you could dial into, sorry, that sounds so old fashioned dial into that you could, you know, Skype or what was it that was Zoom calls, wasn't it? There were Zoom calls that we could do, um

I wasn't brilliant at doing that. What I did have was a buddy, so I could just give her a call, um, and obviously, lymphoma action sorted that out. And they'd always kind of like match somebody who'd gone through a similar, because I could say, there were over 60 types of lymphoma

So I needed to find somebody who'd gone, who'd got my lymphoma. Um, so they matched me up with somebody, and You know, it was great. So I could just ring her, say, are you free for a chat? Um, or, or text her and going, Oh, I'm just having a bit of a wobble, you know, any words of advice, or just, or just a just a general chit chat, you know? And it was great

Um, brilliant. And that kind of got, got you through until you could get back out into the big wide world again, because it was a tricky time during COVID for a lot of patients, wasn't it? Um, so. London Marathon in April

Yeah, in training at the moment. Yes. What next? What, what, what happens after the London Marathon? I think first of all, we learn to walk again, yeah

Wait for the blisters to heal. Yeah, oh, definitely. Um, I don't, I don't know

Definitely, um, definitely more running if my legs will allow. Um, I've decided that the, the, um, I haven't been overseas yet since COVID and cancer. So I've got, um, a wish list that includes, I want to go and run in

Some different cities, some different towns, um, so, um, I'm thinking, you know, not too far to start off with, so maybe in Spain or somewhere, go to Palma or somewhere and run along, run along a nice, nice flat path. I think there's a good one, is there a good one in? Um, no, not Benidorm. There's a good one on Lanzarote, I believe

Yeah, you see that, that sounds much more appealing, so a nice bit of sea air and not as far. I think a half marathon might become my, my max. Yeah

Oh, that sounds good. Yeah. That sounds like something

So that's a bit of a, that's a bit of a goal then, isn't it? Yeah, that's definitely, I think it's to, it's to have that confidence to get on a plane and, and go overseas and, um, and yeah. And what better way to explore, uh, a place by running round it. Yeah

Sounds perfect. Excellent. So

I, I think, and I think what you're doing is absolutely amazing. I think you've, you're, you're just inspirational, and I, I mean, good luck for April. I you don't need it

You'll be absolutely fine, I'm sure. But, and it's an amazing thing that you're doing. So I hope you raise plenty of money, keep the blisters to a minimum

Get an opportunity to have a really good look, you know, have a good look around London and soak up the vibe while you're. that's all part of it I don't want it to be painful. No, no, try and enjoy it as much as we'll be praying for good dry weather for you, although you may not want dry weather, it might be that you want a bit of moisture, I don't know

Oh, we shall wait and see. I've got that delight to look forward to. And and I'll see you soon, but thanks ever so much

Take care. Bye. Right

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