Final few runners ready for marathon effort

Caroline Reeves, of Thorncombe, Keith Butcher, of Bridport, and Maddy Anholt, who grew up in Uplyme, are all preparing for the incredible challenge on Sunday, April 22.

Caroline, who lives with husband Heath and sons Honor and Caspar, runs a jewellery business in Forde Abbey.

She is running in memory of her father, Neil Ransford, who died back in the summer of 2017, having battled cancer for four years.

Caroline said: “Both my mother and father are local, dad having been brought up in Charmouth and my mum is a Lyme girl through and through.

“My father was a lay preacher, among many other things.

“I had always thought I might run a marathon someday, so when dad died, it was a now or never situation.”

To train for the marathon, Caroline previously ran the Yeovil half back in 2015, but has not done anything else of this distance.

Caroline said: “The training is proving to be far harder than I ever could have imagined so have to refer to one of Dad’s favourite sayings, “There is no such word as can’t” quite regularly.

“The further I have run is training so far is 14 and a half miles around the Marshwood Vale, being encouraged by a fab friend on her bike.

“My legs still have to find another 11 and a half miles from somewhere.

“My training programme was made for me by a good friend who has run many marathons before, and I could not have done this without her.

“I could however have done without getting flu in early March which has set me back a good two weeks.”

Caroline is running for CLIC Sargent, a charity that support and help children with cancer.

She said: “I chose them as I feel that children deserve to have as much help as possible, and, if we can fix cancer in kids, then maybe adults will be ok too.”

To fundraise, Caroline hosted a coffee morning in Hawkchurch, where she raised more than £1000.

Her fundraising target is £4000, and she raised £2936 so far.

To sponsor Caroline, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/caroline-reeves2

Also running this year is Keith Butcher from Bridport, who is running for Arthritis Research.

Keith currently works as a production manager at Crowdfunder, and moved back to Bridport after 12 years in Australia.

Keith is running in memory of his mother, Sandra Edith Butcher nee Langdon, who suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis when Keith was born.

He said: “She was incredible to continue to not let it affect her and she was a truly selfless person who dealt with extreme battles on an ongoing basis, although never complaining or allowing it to have an impact on her family.”

Sandra started noticing the symptoms when she was seven years old, when her knees locked up whilst standing on stage, which resulted in her being sent home from school.

This occurred in the 1950s, when little was known about how to deal with the condition or what it was.

Rheumatoid Arthritis does not just affect the joints, but all the internal organs within the body, as it resides within the blood system.

There is no known reason as to its cause and there is no known cure.

Sandra sadly passed away peacefully at the age of 67 in January, 2013.

Keith said: “It can have an affect on people in all different stages of their lives and there seems to be a grin and bear it mentality that has somehow become the norm.

“I would like to see people recognise this and think about how things could be change to make peoples lives a little easier.”

Before the signing up to the marathon, Keith had no running experience, nor is he actually a runner, although he became inspired by watching his nephew and sister-in-law run the London Marathon.

Keith said: “When I received the call from Arthritis Research I had never ran and actually think I had a pasty in one hand and a Latte in the other when they confirmed I had a place.

“I thought I had to take the opportunity they had given me and start to train and focus on trying to achieve this.”

To train he has managed to achieve a five kilometre run and last weekend completed his longer run of 18 miles in under three and a half hours.

He said: “If I am able to run the London Marathon and raise the needed funds then I hope in someway I have made a difference in raising awareness of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Arthritis in general, then it will have all been worth it.”

To raise money for the charity, Keith organised a Funk and Soul Night at the Symondsbury Estate in February with his friend James Baker.

Ticket sales went to his designated charity, which raised £500.

Currently Keith is at 51 per cent of his target, and aims to raise £2000.

To sponsor Keith, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/keithbutcher78

And actress, comedian and screenwriter Maddy Anholt is running in memory of her grandmother Joan.

Maddy, who has performed on the BBC Radio Comedy Showcase, grew up in Uplyme and now lives in Brixton. is preparing to run in memory of her beloved grandmother, Joan.

Joan, who lived in Uplyme, suffered a stroke at the age of 73, which left her paralysed down her left side and in a wheelchair. She died a few years later.

Maddy, who now lives in Brixton, said: “My grandmother Joan was such a brilliant woman.

“She spoke several languages, was hugely creative and enjoyed writing poetry.

Maddy said: “I loved spending time with her as a child.”

“I really feel that my grandmother was cut down in her prime.

“As a child, I remember being so shocked that a condition could to that someone.

“We have a big extended family and she was the one who looked after all of us.

“It was heartbreaking to see how her life changed in that moment.”

Sadly Joan died a few years later.

The thought of running the marathon is something Maddy has toyed with for the past three years, and something she often tells people she will do.

She said: “Every time I tell someone and don’t do it, I can never talk to them again.

“Basically I’ve realised I’ve now run out of friends so I figured it was about time I just do it.”

Maddy has chosen to run for the National Brain Appeal, who currently have a stroke appeal to raise £1.5 million to create a groundbreaking acute interventional neuroradiology service for stroke patients at a specialist hospital in London.

She said: “Had my grandmother had access to the stroke care that is now available, it is likely that she could have made a good recovery and avoided being paralysed.

“It is very important to me to support The National Brain Appeal who are raising vital funds for major improvements to stroke care to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”

To support Maddy’s fundraising, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/maddy-anholt