Karen Bumby, a science teacher at King Edward VI Community College in Totnes, Devon, was already determined to get fit. Then she discovered her husband Tim was losing his hearing at just 28, due to the sudden onset of a degenerative hearing disorder, so she decided to set twin goals of completing the London Marathon while also fundraising for Deafness Research UK.
[UKPRwire, Tue May 18 2010] The London Marathon always generates remarkable stories of individual triumph and Karen’s story is another example of the amazing lengths some people will go to in order to raise money for charity.
Karen finished the Marathon in a highly respectable 4 hours 45 minutes and 39 seconds, and is just £45 short of raising £2,000 for Deafness Research UK, £500 more than her original target. Karen was cheered on by thousands of well-wishers on the day and of course staff and pupils from the college in Totnes where she works.
“I did it!” exclaimed Karen. “The noise of cheering from crowds six or seven deep was amazing, particularly as I began my sprint to the finish. The run went really well, but at 20 miles I hit the dreaded ‘wall’ and it took every ounce of determination I had not to just stop and walk. When I crossed the line I felt the obligatory tears coming, partly through relief and partly as I just could not believe I had done it without walking.”
Karen was assisted in her fundraising activities by staff and pupils at her college, who were only too willing to take part by putting on a range of events to help her raise money. These included cake stalls, car washes and a ‘ladies night’ fundraiser, which have all played their part in delivering much needed money for Deafness Research UK.
“On behalf of the charity, we would all like to thank Karen and her army of fundraisers for all their efforts,” said Sue Bowcock, Communities Manager for Deafness Research UK. “One in seven of the UK population has a hearing disability, and it can be a shock when it occurs unexpectedly, as Karen and her husband discovered. The London Marathon is always a popular event and Karen herself only made our list when someone else had to drop out. Competition for places is always fierce so any one who would like to run for Deafness Research UK next year should be already be thinking about contacting us to avoid disappointment.”
One of the dominant images for Karen on the day was the sheer number of people like her who were running for charitable causes. The stories behind the charity logos on many people’s vests are very emotional and it is truly amazing to think that people like Karen have the tenacity to go through so much to support charities like Deafness Research UK.
“I would like to thank everyone who sponsored me and got involved on my behalf,” added Karen. “After months of hard training in wind, rain, sleet and snow it was worth it in the end. My initial motivation was to get fit and raise money for Deafness Research UK and there is no race in the world that comes close to the London Marathon - I would highly recommend it to anyone. The race and the training is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but without a shadow of doubt, easily the most rewarding.”
For further information, contact Sue Bowcock on 0207 679 8965 or e-mail her at sue.bowcock@deafnessresearch.org.uk
