Running for the men in her life


"Give a few bob," Bob Monkhouse asked us when appealing for funds to help beat the prostate cancer which killed him. Budleigh Salterton's Elaine Raymond, pictured above, is confident she can raise a lot more than that with the half-marathon that she's running on 1 May even though she hasn't run properly for 20 years.

"I'm finding the training quite tough, and my best so far is only six miles, but I'll get there in the end," says a determined Elaine, who lives in Knowle Road. "As long as I can finish before everyone has gone home," she adds.


The 56-year-old has had to face the reality of prostate cancer in her boss, her father and in her husband Mark, who was diagnosed with the disease just over two years ago. Now she is running in the Follett Stock Great West Run 2011 in Exeter to raise money which will be split between the Chestnut Appeal and the North & East Devon Prostate Support Association (NEDPSA). http://www.nedpsa.org.uk/


Mark, 54, has recently completed a course of hormone therapy following brachytherapy and the couple are now anxiously awaiting the results of blood tests in the next six weeks to see if the treatment has worked. "I'm so grateful for all the medical help we've had," says Elaine."I'm surrounded by men at work. I tell them I'm running for them."


Both Elaine and her husband believe that diet is an important factor in preventing the disease. "We've taken up green tea and cut out dairy products. Hopefully the new regime will help me hit that target of 13.1 miles I'm aiming for."


For sponsorship enquiries and further enquiries Elaine can be contacted on 01395 444343 or via email at mark.raymond54@yahoo.com 35,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year. For information about the Chestnut Appeal please click on http://www.chestnutappeal.org.uk/

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