PICKING UP THE BATON FOR A WORTHY CAUSE.

On Sunday 3rd April, we’ll be dusting off the pom-poms and wholeheartedly cheering on Team LFI’s Jamie O’Keeffe, who is taking on the noble challenge of completing the London Landmarks Half Marathon. That’s enough to make some people tired at just the thought running through their head, never mind the streets of London. But not Jamie. He’s made of the TuFF stuff (not literally) and decided to take up the task to support awareness and raise donations on behalf of his well-chosen charity, Bowel Cancer UK.

With just a few days to go and a break in his workload, LFI Sales Assistant Honore sat down for a quick natter to find out his reasons behind taking part, and how his preparation for the starter’s gun has gone so far…

Honore:
“Why have you decided to fundraise for Bowel Research UK in particular?”

Jamie:
“About 4 years ago I had a bout of illness which led me to be rushed off to the hospital. As it turned out, I had a bowel condition called Diverticulitis. I was in the hospital for about 8 days, and it was quite serious at the time. I was around half an hour away from having to have my bowel removed, and needing to have a colostomy bag put in, plus I was fighting off infection too. Since then I’ve spent multiple days/times in hospital for treatment.

Bowel Research UK research all types of bowel conditions. It’s not a charity that immediately springs to mind does it? That’s why they need extra help to raise awareness and donations on their behalf. Like it says on my JustGiving profile page, I have a condition, and it’s not going to go away, It affects my daily lifestyle. I have to keep trying to do different things that help, including different diets. But, they’re many people out there in the world who are affected far worse than me. The donations I raise will go directly to helping fight bowel diseases. So that’s my reason for doing it.”

Honore:
“That’s a really good reason for doing it. So, what have you done so far to help raise donations, keep people up to date on your progress, and similar things?

I know you’ve never run a half marathon before, have you?” 

Jamie:
“No, I’ve never! For me, this is going to be a huge challenge to my athletic ability. Those who have ever played football with me will know I never really ran much (laughs).

I had decided that I wanted to get a little bit fitter. So I started running, which was in April 2021. I’ve been used to covering 2km distances, and that was it, that was all I could do. But then I progressed, and I started to enjoy running once a week. It wasn’t until November 2021 that I decided I could do something whilst running, like achieve a goal, or make a challenge. That’s why I decide to do the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

I haven’t been keeping people updated too much at this time, because a few months ago I went out for my usual running session and hurt my knee pretty bad. I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to be able to continue training for the event, so I didn’t want to confuse people. I sought out a sports therapist to get me back on track and they gave me the positive news: “yeah, it’s fine, you can run, so long as I do the correct exercises”. So back out I went!

Honore:
“So what training have you done to prepare for a whooping 13-mile run? How have you prepared yourself for a half marathon?” 

Jamie:
“Last year when I started training for the London Landmarks Half Marathon, I was only going out for a run once a week, and at the time I could only run 2km. But by December 2021, I was at 14km. I then upped my running schedule to a tiring, but worth it 4 times a week. This is probably how I’ve injured my knee though. This has enabled me to find the best rhythm for me now though, which is running twice a week, with a mix of short and long runs that helps you get used to running long distances.”

Honore:
“Who’s shown the most support for you so far, and what does that mean to you?” 

Jamie:
“It has mostly been Candy (Candice O’Keefe, wife to Jamie, and LFI Sales Office Manager). She’s been there every step of the way, helping to push me to go out when I don’t want to. She’s been very supportive as she always is.” 

Honore:
“That’s very sweet.” 

Jamie:
“As well as emotional support, Candice has also bought me some much-needed gear to make sure I’m kitted out correctly every time I train and for the big day.”  

Honore:
“I saw at the bottom of your JustGiving page, that even if end up having to walk across the line, you’re still going to finish it no matter what…”

Jamie:
“That’s right, I will make it across the finish line! Because I’m unsure how my knee is going to react, and having to prepare using a treadmill, it’s going to be difficult. But, I’m sure it will be fine and I’ll finish it.”

WHAT IS THE LONDON LANDMARK HALF MARATHON?

Organised by baby charity, Tommy's, the London Landmarks Half Marathon is a 13-mile closed road run that takes place in central London. It’s the only half marathon with a route to pass through both the City of London, and the City of Westminster.

Starting at Pall Mall, and finishing by the iconic Downing Street, the event has amazing views of some of London’s most renowned landmarks, including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Nelson’s Column, the Gherkin, the Shard, the Tower of London and the London Eye.

To date, the event has raised over £20 million for charities and good causes since the very first event took place back in 2018.

WHO ARE BOWEL CANCER UK?

Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity and was founded in 2020 following a merger between two well-respected charities: Bowel & Cancer Research and Bowel Disease Research Foundation (BDRF).

Every year, over 16,000 people die from bowel cancer in the UK. Over a million suffer from bowel disease. Determined to save lives, and improve the quality of life of everyone diagnosed with bowel cancer and other bowel diseases, the donations you can help raise will be used to fund life-changing research, cutting edge treatments and investing in the best science.

I’D LIKE TO HELP, HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

On top of Jamie’s individual fundraising efforts, you can help by contributing to Bowel Cancer UK by heading over to his JustGiving profile page and making a donation. Large or small, they all help make a huge difference in funding much-needed research which helps to progress us all to a future where the disease is no longer present. Help support those that need it most. Help supportpeople living with bowel cancer and bowel diseases.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast, and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.