As a six-foot, nineteen stone, Ex-Forces and Rugby player, if someone had told me five years ago that I’d end up running around in a massive dress I’d have laughed in your face!
Five years
ago, though, a friend of mine was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and watching her
go through Chemotherapy and experience all of the horrendous side effects was
life changing. I felt so helpless because I’m no Doctor or Scientist, but I was
desperate to make a difference and the Great North Run was just around the
corner, so I applied for a place with the Breast Cancer Campaign.
While working
at a Nursing Home, we picked names out of a hat for a Christmas show we named ‘Stars
In Their Eyes’ and I picked out Diana Ross. This inspired me to wear a
fish-tail dress which caused me to take three hours and forty-two minutes to
get around the 13.1 miles! I had hoped – and aimed – to raise £350 but ended up
with over £4000 and that, with the amount of support I had, meant that the original
plan of this being a one-off run was completely scraped and I aimed for double
the distance.
The 2015
London Marathon was next on the list; even though I’d not ran a marathon since
1993! Again, wearing a dress/outfit that weighed over two stone, meant that it
took slightly longer to complete, and my time came in at six hours and eleven
minutes. The other negative affect the dress had was that seven miles into the
Marathon, I tripped and broke two toes… But I wouldn’t let that stop me and
raised over £6000! The entire thing caused a bit of a stir with the BBC and
after being interviewed by BBC Breakfast I was invited onto The One Show. It
was so surreal and meant that ‘Big Pink Dress’ grew in popularity and I became
a Breast Cancer Now representative and did talks for Women’s groups. I saw
their heartbreak, shared their triumphs, I’ve laughed, and I’ve cried with them
– all the while being there for support. 
Over five
years, I’ve now ran over 60 races – each in a different dress - and have raised
over £118,000 for 14 different charities! I’ve been very lucky to be given
various awards and last year I was truly humbled to be given the Points of
Light award by the Prime Minister!
People say
that Cancer can change your life and it certainly has changed mine in a hugely,
incredible way!
https://www.bigpinkdress.org.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigpinkdressgnr
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