Jacky finds her marathon motivation

Seasoned marathon runner Jacky runs the London Marathon for her nephew, who was a victim of violent crime in 2021.

 

Everyone has a story, so here’s mine.

I knew I was ready to run my 7th marathon and I decided to take on London, as I ran it back in 2012 and, to be honest, couldn’t really remember much about the day itself. 

After not getting a ballot place, I started looking at all the charities that I could apply through to secure my place. I wanted one that deserved my time and dedication - and I stumbled across Crimestoppers.

After reading what Crimestoppers was all about, I knew this was the charity I wanted to run for. 
 

Let me tell you why.

On August 23rd 2021, my 29 year old nephew became a victim of crime. The weapon used was a piece of glass that went 14 cms into his stomach and twice into his back. This left him with 74 staples, and the damage to his stomach meant he had to have some of his bowel removed.

The terrible attack left him physically and mentally scarred. He began suffering from anxiety and panic attacks.

The people who commit these crimes don’t see the aftermath they leave behind - the effect it has on the victims and their family, the pain that surrounds them.

On a happy note, my nephew got married on October 7th 2022, and is looking forward to the future.

Once I secured my place, I had to think about how I was going to raise the target of £1,750.

Well, I did lots of raffles, online auctions, cake sales and summer fayres with a tombola and various games. I couldn’t have done it without the help of the local community and small businesses who donated lots of lovely prizes.

I had full support from Crimestoppers, and was updated by events co-ordinator Allison every step of the way. I was sent out Crimestoppers marketing material, which I used to help with my fundraising. 

Training for a marathon takes a lot of time, and you have to be dedicated. But, if you’re doing it for a worthy cause, it's all worth it - and it’s enjoyable. 


The day itself was amazing from start to finish. The crowd was phenomenal. They really help you around the course, random people cheering you on.

One thing I will remember is at mile 19, I hear “Go on, Jacky “ and I turned around and saw a lady from Crimestoppers wave. I waved back, carried on - and that kept me going with a smile on my face. 

My journey from start to finish was all worth it. I ended up fundraising £2,320 for Crimestoppers, and helped to raise awareness of the charity in the process. Very fulfilling.



 
if you're interested in running the london marathon and fundraising for crimestoppers, please fill in our application form