Sisters Success with Edinburgh Half Marathon

Sisters Samantha Williamson, and Clare Hogarth from Peebles, ran the Edinburgh Half Marathon on 28 May, to increase awareness of stroke and raise funds for the Stroke Association. Their father, Tommy, had a massive stroke last October rendering him unable to walk and talk. After three weeks Tommy could walk, but still struggles with communicating – a condition, also known as aphasia. Tommy was fit and healthy with no risk factors for stroke, so it came completely out of the blue. Tommy is making progress with his recovery now. He has gone back to his R&R Fitness classes and is managing well physically. It’s a good place to practice his communication skills too, and everyone is incredibly supportive. One of Tommy’s aims was to return to Tynecastle for the Edinburgh Derby on 2nd January. Despite the crowds of people, the travelling, and his speech difficulties, Tommy managed fine, and was delighted to attend the event and enjoy the victory for his beloved Hearts. Samantha says: “We are both so proud of Dad. He has achieved so much in such a short amount of time. He had previously completed the Edinburgh Half Marathon, so we thought, ‘If he can do it, so can we’.” And now the sisters successfully completed the Edinburgh Marathon this month.

Samantha said:

“It was an incredible day, we all completed spurred on by family and friends in the crowds. We felt a huge sense of achievement, pride, and joy. Thinking about the cause and how far Dad has come kept us going through the more difficult stages - the 2.5-mile loop near the end was brutal!

“We were all overcome with emotion when seeing Dad at the end - it was a moment to cherish. Blown away by the donations, support from friends running with us and cheerleading us through the course. Big thanks to all!”

Andrea Watt, Relationship Fundraiser at the Stroke Association, said: “Samantha and Clare have made a huge achievement successfully completing the Edinburgh Half Marathon. Their grit and determination shown throughout the race is an example to all. It’s amazing what people can achieve if they want to. I’d like to thank both Samantha and Clare for supporting the charity, not just through raising awareness, but raising vital funds too.”

You can still sponsor the sisters. To do so, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/team/ehm23twd