Woman plans six charity half-marathon runs

A woman who grew up in Swindon has pledged to run six half marathons to raise funds for a cause very close to her heart.

Sophie Browne, who is taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday admits that the thought of running just a mile a few years ago would have been the stuff of nightmares.

However Sophie, 27, a solicitor who now lives in London, is tackling the gruelling challenge for the Liver UK charity.

She said: “My younger sister, Ellie, was born with the rare liver disease, biliary atresia.

“She was only five months old when she underwent a life-saving liver transplant.

"As a child I had no idea how serious Ellie’s condition was, but I do recall that my parents were introduced to Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (now Liver UK), who provided a wide range of information and support over many years. "Consequently, my family were always keen fundraisers for the charity as we were growing up.

 “I’m happy to report that Ellie is now a healthy and happy 23-year-old. Apart from a low-dose immunosuppressant and six-monthly hospital appointments, her condition doesn’t impact on her life, and she loves her work in the film industry.

"But having seen what she went through and what my parents dealt with as a result, I have always wanted to do something individually to raise as much money as possible for the charity who were there when we needed them and now felt like the right time. But as far as fundraising was concerned, I didn’t know where to start beyond a bake sale!”

This all changed when a friend of Sophie’s took part in the Prague half marathon and told her about the Super Halfs, a series of six half marathons which take place across Europe.

“It seemed like a fantastic way to consistently fundraise for an extended period of time and spread the word about Liver UK,” said Sophie.

“I ran my first half marathon last year and enjoyed the idea of an ongoing physical challenge, despite having never enjoyed running before this - Ellie thinks I’m crazy - so I signed up!

“The first of the Super Halfs took place in Lisbon in March and I absolutely loved it! The energy was amazing and it was a fantastic feeling running alongside so many people raising money for charities all over Europe.

"It was hard but a good playlist, a bag of jelly babies, and the thought of a pastel de nata sorted me out. So I’m really looking forward to Cardiff this weekend!

“If I can gain entry into a half marathon every spring and autumn, I should finish the challenge in autumn 2028 when hopefully I’ll have raised £2,500 and plenty of awareness for a cause which means so much to me and my family.

"We have all benefited so much from what this charity had to offer us, and I would like every family in our situation to have that support.”

Dan Painter, Public Fundraising Manager at Liver UK, said: “As a charity, we are leading the fight against liver disease and liver cancer.

"We reach over two million people each year; providing information and support to patients and families and providing vital advice to help people improve their liver health. But there is still so much to be done.

"So we are so grateful to Sophie for taking on this amazing challenge. It really will enable us to continue to make a difference to families like hers and we wish her all the best for Sunday.”

You can support Sophie’s Super Half Challenge at https://www.justgiving.com/page/sophie-browne-superhalf?