Marathon runners are super fit and determined – and a little bit off their heads! Well I don’t qualify for the first attribute but at the age of 62, running my first marathon, I’ll need both the others in abundance!
Amazingly, I have always wanted to run a marathon but the time and motivation were never right! My daughter Katie, has entered and suggested it was something I could do in my retirement if I was bored! As if…!! But when a Facebook post popped up offering places to represent Contact the Elderly, at the Stirling Marathon on 21st May 2017, I took it as a sign to finally take the plunge!
I am registered as a volunteer driver and host for this wonderful charity. It gives lonely, isolated older people the chance to meet up monthly for a cuppa and a chat in the safe, secure environment of an afternoon tea party. New friendships are made and old ones rekindled over tea and cake – a simply brilliant idea!
I hope to raise the profile of the charity during the run, and also raise much needed funds to keep providing the opportunity of companionship and conversation to brighten up otherwise solitary lives.
So when you see me “running” around the streets of Kippen, take pity on a slightly mad old bird on a mission! Give me a cheery wave and some encouragement. And if you feel inclined, I have a Justgiving page (justgiving.com) where you could make a donation, and make a difference.
This may be the triumph of hope over reality as my poor old body is objecting somewhat to the increased demands asked of it, but I am determined to complete this challenge on the same day I start. Pride and Contact the Elderly demand it!
Allison Stewart
The Wee Vine 