Boro cafe due run half-marathon to fight disease plaguing family

 

Two lifelong friends from Dundas Indoor Market’s Jean’s Kitchen have thanked sponsors, family and spectators for their support after successfully completing the prestigious London Landmarks Half Marathon.

 

Novice runner Kay Watson, 48, said the encouragement and thought of the money they were raising kept her going, as well as her determination to do something about the disease  of diabetes which has plagued her family.

Kay’s daughter Sian, now 20, was diagnosed with the most serious form of diabetes – Type 1 – when she was just 18-months-old. Kay’s sister, nephew and cousin also have Type 1 and two years ago Kay herself was told that she had Type 2.

She decided to change her lifestyle, started going to the gym and then began running. Her diabetes has now gone.

Kay was spurred on by her lifelong friend Louise Matthews, a work colleague at Jean’s Kitchen.  Louise has run three marathons and eight Great North Runs, raising thousands of pounds for local charities in the process, but this was the first time she had taken part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

Louise, 47, crossed the line in just over two hours. Kay followed an hour later and the pair have raised £2,000 which will be split between the Diabetes UK charity and the department at The James Cook University Hospital which treats children with diabetes.

“I couldn’t be any more proud of her,” said Louise. “She was very nervous in the morning, but she did so amazingly well. Kay’s a real inspiration.” The women have been friends since they were three, growing up in Guisborough, and have worked together in Jean’s Kitchen for more than 20 years.

Kay said: “There were only a handful of kids when Sian was diagnosed, but now there seems to be more and more. It’s awful for them, what they have to go through every day.

“When I was half-way round that race I just kept thinking of the reason why I was doing it and that gave me strength to keep going.”

She added: “I just hope and pray one day they find a cure. It would make a massive difference to so many lives.”

The friends are hoping to take part in the event again next year and are thinking about running the Edinburgh Half Marathon as well.