A Newbury woman is gearing up to run the London Marathon for the eighth time despite having suffered from multiple sclerosis for 27 years.
Sue Bennet, 64, will be taking on the 26.2 mile challenge for charity MS-UK this weekend.
But she will also be taking on her MS symptoms, which include fatigue and numbness in her limbs.
She was diagnosed in 1997 when her daughter was two-years-old and son had just started secondary school.
“I felt very low and envisaged a bleak future,” she said.
“My confidence was non-existent, and I had terrible bilateral optic neuritis, an MS symptom which causes vision problems and pain in both eyes.
“My MS can really affect my balance, and I often get weird sensations as if my feet are in freezing water.
“However, I discovered running and grew to love it, and I truly believe it has kept me going both physically and mentally since.”
She and a running buddy were given a place in the London Marathon in 2015 and the pair did a ‘three marathons in three weeks’ challenge, which took in the Paris, Manchester, and London Marathons.
The mother-of-two added: “I also had surgery in December to remove a neuroma from my foot; that means I’ve had to start my training later this year.
“But I’ve managed to train up to 18 miles, so I’m both nervous and excited for Sunday.
“And I hope to celebrate afterwards with a glass of fizz or two.”
