An Abbots Langley Leukaemia sufferer will pound the streets of London in April as he competes in the annual London Marathon. Being diagnosed with leukaemia three years ago has given Joe Olival a whole new perspective on life so this year, instead of watching the Flora London Marathon from the comfort of his own home, he will be among 46,500 excited and nervous people actually running the 26.2 miles (42km) on Sunday 26 April.
He will be running to raise money for Leukaemia CARE. Joe told My Abbots News: “I was only 37 when I was told I had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and at the time it turned my whole life upside down but three years on I have learnt to live with my condition and feel more positive than ever, living for today! I’ve never run a marathon before in my life,” he added. “But after watching the Flora London Marathon in 2008, I decided to do something worthwhile, that would help me get fitter and at the same time raise lots of money for a very good cause. My illness affected my family and friends as well as me and I wanted to raise money for Leukaemia CARE for this reason – they support everyone affected by the illness, not just the patients.” Joe is hoping to raise at least £1,500 for Leukaemia CARE and has so far raised around £900. If you would like to help him achieve his target, you can make a secure online donation by visiting www.justgiving.com/joeolival. Joe, a manager with Renault UK, is determined to cross the finish line and is training hard in preparation for the big day. After starting running in October last year, he’s now running up to 15 miles in a session. “It’s been very hard work,” he admitted, “but I’m very focused on completing the whole 26.2 miles because it means so much to me. I’m feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves as this is the first time ever that I’ve been involved in something that is so close to my heart, but I’m sure that after completing the race I’ll be walking away with some wonderful moments that I’ll cherish forever.” Eve Martin, Fundraising Director at Leukaemia CARE said: “As we receive no government funding, we rely on donations, volunteers and fundraising events to ensure we can continue our work supporting those affected by blood cancers particularly through our 24-hour CARE Line. This is the biggest fundraising event of the year for us so we are extremely grateful to Joe and the other 128 people running the Marathon for us as part of ‘Team Bertie’, named after our mascot Bertie Bloodcell.” She added: “This is an amazing event and it will be a day that Joe remembers for the rest of his life. We are delighted that he has chosen to raise money for our charity while fulfilling his dream and we’ll be there on the day to cheer him on.”
An Abbots Langley Leukaemia sufferer will pound the streets of London in April as he competes in the annual London Marathon. Being diagnosed with leukaemia three years ago has given Joe Olival a whole new perspective on life so this year, instead of watching the Flora London Marathon from the comfort of his own home, he will be among 46,500 excited and nervous people actually running the 26.2 miles (42km) on Sunday 26 April.