Holly to run half marathon in memory of her brother

Holly Bishop, a 23-year-old student, is gearing up to run the Vitality Reading Half Marathon on behalf of CLIC Sargent to say thank you for the amazing care they gave to her family while her big brother Guy was suffering with brain cancer.

Guy was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, a type of brain cancer, in 2013. Eight months later he sadly passed away at the age of 22, halfway through his university placement year. During that traumatic period, CLIC Sargent provided vital support, both physically and financially, to Guy and his family. From the point of Guy’s diagnosis, CLIC Sargent’s specialist care teams stepped in to help, support and guide the family through an extremely difficult time.

Holly comments: “Guy and I had a typical sibling relationship. We fought daily when we were growing up; he would do anything to embarrass me and I would do anything to get him into trouble, but I wouldn't have changed that for anything. Guy had such a contagious smile and he was smart, kind-hearted, funny and spontaneous. Whenever I speak to anyone at university who knew him, they always have hilarious and lovely stories to share. l will always be proud to call Guy my big brother. He is, and will always be, very missed by so many and I often wonder what adventures he would be up to now if he was still with us.

“CLIC Sargent were amazing during Guy's illness, providing financial, practical and emotional support. They allowed him to be able to do the things he wanted to do in the precious time he had left with us, and for that, I will be eternally grateful. I honestly can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done, and now look for any way possible to raise money to support the amazing work they do.”

Holly is in her final year of study at Harper Adams University, but that’s not stopping her from training for the Vitality Reading Half Marathon, as well as taking on the incredible challenge of running eight marathons in 2017 – symbolic of the eight months from Guy’s diagnosis to passing. The Vitality Reading Half Marathon is an incredibly important event to Holly due to its profile, atmosphere, and it being the perfect warm up event ahead of the London Marathon in April.

Holly comments: “This will be my first Reading Half Marathon, and I’m incredibly excited for it. I’ve heard amazing things about the race, from its fast times to its stadium finish. I’m also really looking forward to seeing the other people signed up to run for CLIC Sargent, as it’s great to see so many familiar faces and like-minded runners with the same goal, to raise money for a fantastic charity!

“I always used to be a sprinter and never understood why anyone would want to run a half or full marathon. My mindset has completely changed now, through meeting people with shared experiences. If I ever feel any pains or hit a wall during training, I just have to keep reminding myself of why I’m doing this and it gets easier. I’ve currently raised £29,000 for CLIC Sargent, and by the end of the year I’m hoping to have raised £50,000 to fund their vital support.”

If you’ve been touched by Holly’s story and would like to donate, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Holly-Bishop5

For more information about the Vitality Reading Half Marathon, please visit: http://www.readinghalfmarathon.com