Barts Health colleagues run for charity in the London Marathon
#TeamBartsHealth colleagues will be taking on the challenge of the famous London Marathon this weekend.
Emily Martin, respiratory physiotherapist, is running the Marathon to give back to Barts Charity.
Emily said her team has benefitted from the generosity of Barts Charity over the years with donations towards equipment and further education.
She said: “There is something special about the London marathon and completing it has been on my bucket list for some time.
“So in the year that both the marathon and I turned 40 I thought, why not! This is my first marathon so the nerves are kicking in.
“My training has been a bit fragmented, juggling two small children, work and bouts of illness but I am excited and determined and I’ve heard the crowd carry you the whole way.
“I am pleased to be able to give something back to Barts Charity.”
Cordelia McKechnie, ophthalmology consultant at Whipps Cross Hospital, is running for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in honour of eye clinic liaison officer Sam Kalla, who sadly passed away last year.
She said: “I have been an ophthalmologist for 23 years and a consultant at Whipps Cross Hospital for 11 years. RNIB is very close to my heart.
“We deal with many patients in the eye treatment centre who are partially sight impaired or fully sight impaired and the RNIB provide them with many useful resources.
“RNIB fund an ECLO (eye care liaison officer) at our hospital who provides advice and support for our patients. We could not function without them and our patients appreciate their help as blindness has many implications not only on the patient themselves but also their wider families.
“We sadly lost one of our ECLO's last year - Sam Kalla, he was a treasure and we would like to run in honour of him.
“I hope, along with my husband James to raise £3750 for the RNIB to help them continue with their amazing work.”
Catriona Rowland, wellbeing lead for Newham Hospital, and Lynda McNab, trustwide dementia lead, are also taking part in the 2021 race, which takes place this Sunday.
Are you running the London Marathon this weekend? Let us know!
Read more:
Emily’s sponsorship page for Barts Charity
Cordelia’s sponsorship page for the RNIB