Supporters and Fundraisers news

Team Purple Lockdown Gardenathon

Not deterred by the postponement of the London Marathon, #TeamPCA runnners Tash and Frankee, have both decided to take attempt a Lockdown Gardenathon in their own gardens this Sunday!

PCA

Bicester hairdresser Natasha Hillier and her friend, photographer Frankee Victoria, are determined to continue their mammoth fundraising efforts for Pancreatic Cancer Action, despite the lockdown.

They were due to take part in the London Marathon this weekend and, not deterred by its postponement, they have both decided to take attempt a Lockdown Gardenathon in their own gardens this Sunday! With the usual pit stops along the way they will keep time rolling as if it were a normal marathon race and will track their progress using the Strava app to show that they have done the 26.2 mile distance continuously.

Tash and Frankee set up Team Purple to attempt to complete 20 challenges in 2020 to include 5k’s, 10k’s, half marathons, marathons and ultras and all to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer Action, a charity close to their hearts.  Despite the difficulties so far this year, they have managed to complete 7 of the 20 challenges and hope this will be number 8!

A charity close to their hearts…

On 1st January 2019 Natasha’s mother in law, Jean, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer (with very few symptoms). It was heart breaking to learn that the only treatment available in her case was to prolong her life and her battle ended just over 6 months after diagnosis. Sadly this is not the only occasion that pancreatic cancer has taken someone close to Natasha as her amazing nan died from this awful disease and another family close to her lost their husband, father and grandfather – all to pancreatic cancer.

Last year Natasha helped Frankee raise money for a charity that was close to her heart and so this year it’s Frankee’s turn to support Natasha.

The team said on their Instagram page:

“On Sunday we should’ve been doing the London Marathon, whilst we are disappointed we won’t be at that start line (freezing underneath a bin liner) charities are taking a far bigger hit than us with all the fundraising they’ll be missing out on.
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So, as part of the #twopointsixchallenge to help lessen the blow – we are both going to be doing a marathon in the garden. All 26.2 miles of it!

It will not be pretty and it will not be fast, but it will be for a good cause – raising much needed funds for @pancreatic_cancer_action

Annie Whillians, Event’s Coordinator at PCA, praises the teams incredible efforts: 

Team Purple have shown an incredible amount of determination and passion in their fundraising ventures for us here at PCA. We are delighted to be in receipt of all of their hard-work and are fully behind them with every new challenge they take on in the name of pancreatic cancer. Through the adversity of the coronavirus pandemic, we are so proud to have supporters like Team Purple who are able to help us spread our message through these uncertain times and keep fighting for patients and families affected by pancreatic cancer.”