A personal trainer from Chester led a charity fundraising 10k run despite battling a rare form of cancer - raising more than £3000 in the process.
Claire Richards was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last November and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment, but it has not deterred her from one of her biggest passions - running.
The idea of the run came about because Claire went to see an oncology specialist in London who, because of her young age and the fact that she is otherwise fit and well, asked her to take part in a clinical trial of a new cancer drug which has seen very promising preliminary results. The cost of travelling to and from London for the treatment will be between £3,000 and £5,000.
Last month, Claire led almost 200 runners in the 10km run from her workplace Total Fitness on Liverpool Road to Saughall and back, in a day she described as ‘incredible’.
“The support from everyone, friends, members if the gym and strangers was overwhelming,” she said.
“There was a fantastic, uplifting atmosphere in the gym all morning.
“Some of the runners taking part had never run 10k before and many personal bests were achieved - we raised more than £3000 from entry fees, donations and cake sales after the run!”
Being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, which is generally associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, came as a huge shock to 40-year-old Claire, who doesn’t smoke or drink and whose career for the past decade has been focused on fitness.
As a mum of three small children, it was a huge blow to her, but she has been determined to carry on with her normal life as best she can.
Despite multiple rounds of chemotherapy, Claire has still been able to keep working and running and she’s convinced that’s all down to her high fitness levels, good diet and the general positive attitude that exercise helps to foster.
“My treatment is going extremely well,” she said.
“I am tolerating the chemo and am able to work and exercise at a very good level.
“Running is my escape and a physical discipline I do that has no correlation with 'feeling ill'. I am as committed to my health, fitness and diet more now than I have ever been and believe it plays an intrinsic and immeasurably significant role to my continuing recovery.
‘There are some days that I feel weak and fluey but I’ve always been very driven so I make myself get out of bed and carry on and I feel much better for doing so.
“If you tell yourself you are ill you’ll feel ill, so I do the opposite,” she said.
