Press release -
Runcorn’s Emma Pitt conquers stroke with latest challenge
Runcorn stroke survivor, Emma Pitt, is proving that she has well and truly conquered stroke, by taking on the Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon on Sunday 22 March, in aid of the Stroke Association.
Emma, 40 was honeymooning in Malaysia in 2009, when she had a major stroke. She lost the strength in her arms, her speech became slurred, and when she went to stand she realised she could no longer walk. Luckily, the strength in her arms and speech came back relatively quickly. However the stroke left Emma with depression, panic attacks and anxiety.
Now, five years’ later, Emma has made a remarkable recovery and trains regularly with a personal trainer, running half marathons and 10k races every few weeks. Emma is now taking on the popular and prestigious Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon, for which the Stroke Association has been selected as the lead charity.
Emma said: “As I got stronger after my stroke, I wanted to be healthier so I joined a gym, and started running. I wanted to take charge of my life again. I have since done 16 half marathons and the Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon will be my 17th! I have also been lucky enough to get a ballot place for the Virgin Money London Marathon this year. I’ve turned 40 this year so it seemed like a great way to mark the occasion and I’ll be running on behalf of the Stroke Association.
“I’m still not 100 per cent back to how I was. I still have some weakness on my left side and I know that depression never really leaves you. However, going out for a run has given me the ability to have peace in my life again.”
Louise Lawless, Community and Events Fundraising Manager for the Stroke Association, said: “The Stroke Association is thrilled to have been chosen as the lead charity for the Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon in 2015.There are around 152,000 strokes a year in the UK – that’s around one every three and a half minutes. We’re so thankful that people like Emma are raising funds to ensure we can be there for more families affected by stroke. She’s a huge inspiration and we’ll be cheering her on every step of the way.”
For more information about the Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon, visit www.stroke.org.uk/waterswilmslowhalf. For more information about stroke, visit www.stroke.org.uk or call the Helpline on 0303 303 3100.
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A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are around 152,000 strokes in the UK every year and it is the leading cause of severe adult disability. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.
Stroke Association is a charity. We believe in life after stroke and together we can conquer stroke. We work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. We campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. We fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk
