18/04/2019

KTV supports Kitty in Virgin Money London Marathon for Children with Cancer UK

Posted in: General Blog,

ON Sunday 28 April, KTV will be cheering on the daughter of our director, Paul, as she takes part in the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise funds for the charity Children with Cancer UK.

Kitty only started running around a year ago starting out on the Couch to 5k programme, and for the past few months she has been firmly committed to a training plan that has seen her pounding the pavements of Harrogate between three and five time a week to steadily increase her mileage, so that all will run smoothly on the big day.

The 25-year-old, who works at Baroque Hair & Beauty, in Harrogate, is running for Children with Cancer UK because she’s seen at first-hand how the disease affects young people. “Sadly my family is familiar with what it’s like to see young people fight cancer,” she says.

“In 2016 one of the youngest members of my family, my second cousin, was diagnosed with cancer. It was terrifying and I felt helpless that someone so young should have to face a battle with an illness like that. She, her parents, siblings, grandparents and the rest of my family were all so brave.”

Kitty is hoping to make everyone involved very proud; with her hard training and her change of lifestyle habits so she can ultimately complete the marathon.

She adds: “I am also privileged to be related to someone who has fought cancer three times since he was 13. I will be thinking of his battles from being so young and his strength throughout his life since.

“If I can help every child cancer patient have a chance at been an adult like him, and my young cousin who is now enjoying her childhood after treatment, I’ll be very happy. These two people have inspired me to do something totally out of my comfort zone, and it’s extremely difficult to raise money for a charity that strives to improve survival rates and quality of survival in young cancer patients, and to find and reduce the causes of the disease.”

In addition to be sponsored by us, she’s also being supported by her employers Baroque Hair & Beauty, and creative company Colour It In, in Ripon.

She adds: “I really appreciate the help and support of my family, friends, clients and, of course, my dad for roping in his contacts to help with flyers, cards, T-shirts and for providing me with video support.”

Around 35,000 runners of all abilities will start the 26.2-mile race in Greenwich Park and finish on The Mall, with the winner expect to arrive in just over two hours.

You can support Kitty via her Virgin MoneyGiving page, and watch her pre-marathon thank you video here.