Long term volunteer Lesley Abbott took on the Edinburgh Half on behalf of St Columba's Hospice Care!

Article written by Noah, Ella and Lee, 'Writing in Action' interns from Grand Valley State University, USA.

Long-term St Columba’s volunteer Lesley Abbott recently shared her experience pairing a newfound love of running with a fundraising opportunity, all while honouring her late mum and dad. We would like to share Lesley’s heartfelt story to highlight the meaningful impact our events can have on families and the community.

She said:

"I have chosen to support St Columba's since my mum died there in 2005 and my dad in 2012. I became a volunteer at the Iona Cafe in 2016 and more recently at the bookshop and the new Stockbridge charity shop too.

I've played tennis for a long time but only took up running during lockdown, as it was something to do. I was very surprised to find I enjoyed it. I started off running for one song and walking for one song and built up my stamina from there. I like running on my own and use the time to catch up on my favourite podcasts and discover new routes.

Last year I decided to put my running to some constructive use and did the Edinburgh Marathon 10k event, which raised funds for St Columba's. This was quite a challenge; it's a very hilly route and I don't like hills! Maybe it was an adrenaline surge when I crossed the finish line, but I felt like I could have gone round again. This led me to sign up for the Half Marathon this year. It happened to take place exactly a week before my 60th birthday and I reckoned, if I didn't do it now, I never would.

I followed an ASICS twelve-week training programme, which worked really well for me. A particularly enjoyable part was the two days' rest before the event. The night before I had a big pasta dinner and an early night, then a big bowl of porridge in the morning. I soaked up the atmosphere at the start area around Potter Row, marvelling at the elite runners who were absolutely bombing up and down the road just to warm up. I had 3 targets for the day: One, to finish, two, to run every step and three, to finish in two hours thirty minutes or less. I managed to maintain a steady pace all the way through and met all my targets. I even beat my goal time, finishing in two hours twenty-two minutes!

It was quite a scenic route — thankfully lacking hills — taking in Edinburgh's Old Town, Holyrood Park, the coast at Portobello and through to Musselburgh. Portobello was a highlight, with so many people out cheering with funny posters and handing out Haribos to give a sugar boost to the runners. The Rock Choir had even turned out to add to the party atmosphere. It really gives you such a boost to have people cheering you on. My family had positioned themselves around the 11-mile point — easy for me to spot with their St Columba's banner — which gave me a massive lift to keep my pace up for the last two miles.

I felt quite emotional as I crossed the finish line, thinking about why I had taken this on. My Mum and Dad never knew me as a runner. I think they'd have been quite shocked at the thought of me running anywhere! I hope they'd be proud to see me achieving this on behalf of St Columba's, who provided them both with such excellent care. I quickly pulled myself together so I could enjoy the euphoria of having completed it when I met up with my family. It was lovely to see the Fundraising Team in the charity village and have a chance to share the experience with them and some of the other "St C's runners" too. I've asked my friends and family to donate to my JustGiving page instead of giving me presents for my sixtieth birthday, so I am hoping to raise a decent sum for St Columba's. I'm having a think about what my next challenge is going to be, although the one thing I can say with certainty is that I am not at all tempted to do a full marathon (yet!!)".

You, too, can contribute to St Columba’s Hospice Care by participating in our upcoming fundraising events. Whether you want to say thank you, or do a good thing for your local hospice, there is sure to be something on our calendar that suits your interests. Please visit stcolumbashospice.org.uk/support-us/fundraise to get involved today!