Hampshire runners also taking to streets of capital for London Marathon

From a supergran to a mum-of-three who battled cancer, a beauty therapist running for her niece and a vet running for vulnerable animals across the south, everyone is taking on the race for a special cause.

The Daily Echo has spoken to some of the runners during their gruelling months of training as they rally support for their cause.

Runners like Jennifer Barker, 80, from Brockenhurst, who has seen her 17-year-old grandson Luke Berry (both pictured above) fight up to 50 epileptic fits a night and will be running on her knee replacement.

She said: “It really is a horrible illness. I’m so amazed by Luke, he is brilliant and very brave the way he keeps going, so I’ve got to do something for him.”

Also taking on the marathon will be the owner of Embrace Beauty in Botley, Lauren Mitchell, 31, who is raising money for the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity in memory of her niece Rosita, who died after battling spinal muscular atrophy.

Lauren said: “Rosita went through a lot of pain and suffering, but always had a smile on her face. She did not let her devastating illness affect her beautiful personality.”

Mum-of-two Jayne Bailey, 42, from Bitterne Park, will be running her second marathon for her parents who died within months of each other from cancer.

She said: “There are no words to describe how it feels to lose both parents to cancer. I want to raise as much as possible to find a cure so one day nobody has to go through that.”

Charlotte Ward, 38, from Southampton, travelled across the world with her three children and husband while he served in the armed forces.

But aged 24 and living in Italy she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Now 13 years after going into remission she will be running for the Army Benevolent Fund.

PDSA veterinary nurse Gemma Renwick (pictured above) will be taking on the run for vulnerable animals she treats at the pet hospital in Northam.

She said: “Every day I see the impact PDSA has on the lives of some of the area’s most vulnerable pets. Our work in Southampton is a lifeline to thousands of pets in the city that might otherwise go without veterinary treatment.”

Paul Fuge, 35, from Locks Heath, will be running alongside thousands of others for the Winchester company Brendoncare, which supports elderly people across the county.

He said: “I’ve had an insight into the great work they do across the south. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit terrified, but I love a challenge and the London Marathon is an iconic event, so I will do it.”

AS she lay in a hospital bed undergoing life-saving treatment, the family of Alison Davanzo (pictured) feared the worst.

Her organs were shutting down as her body reacted badly to antibiotics that she was given to treat pneumonia on top of an infection on her chest and lungs.

Remarkably not only did the mum-of-two pull through, she has defied doctors’ predictions of never regaining her fitness by taking her place on the starting line at tomorrow’s London Marathon.

The 43-year-old, from Hedge End, will join thousands of runners on the 26.2-mile course having left hospital in a wheelchair two years ago.

She developed the flu-like symptoms after coming back from a skiing holiday and ended up on a high dependency unit with kidney failure at Southampton General Hospital.

“The doctor said I would never be able to regain the fitness or run like before the illness – that was like a red rag to a bull,” said Alison, of Church Lane.

“I was devastated. Fitness is such a big part of my life.

“I couldn’t quite accept it so I pushed myself.”

Alison started slowly walking further distances and gradually got back to fitness – a major milestone being picking up her daughter from school.

But Alison then looked towards a new goal of the London Marathon.

The property developer is confident she will finish, even hoping to beat her previous time of ten years earlier.

Alison’s family, including daughters Giorgia, 11, and Italia, 7, and husband Julio, 43, will be on the course to cheer her on and Alison admitted she would be emotional at the finish.

She is running for the British Lung Foundation but also hopes to raise awareness that pneumonia can strike in younger people, and to inspire people to not give up.

“If you want to do it you have got to push yourself to the limit. It would have been easier to go with what he told me, but I go with the difficult options and not the easy life.”

• To sponsor Alison visit justigiving.com/alisondavanzo.