Press release -
Stroke coordinator takes on the Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon
A healthcare professional who dedicates his time to supporting stroke survivors is tackling the Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon on Sunday 22 March, in aid of the Stroke Association.
Stephen Cross, Stroke Coordinator at Macclesfield District General Hospital, has spent 24 years caring for stroke patients, as a senior member of staff on the hospital’s specialist stroke unit.
Stephen, aged 49, is now taking on the prestigious Waters Wilmslow Half Marathon, for which the Stroke Association has been selected as the lead charity. He began jogging in March last year, aiming to improve his fitness and overall health.
He said: “Before my training, I hadn’t exercised since school but took up jogging last year using the ‘Couch to 5k’ programme. I’m 50 this year and wanted to improve my health and fitness. I’ve now lost two and a half stone and just last week I ran 11 and a half miles! I’ve chosen to raise funds for the Stroke Association to help families affected by stroke. The charity does so much to raise awareness of this terrible condition.”
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 Stephen are raising funds to ensure we can be there for more families affected by stroke. We’ll be cheering him 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
