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Two Weeks To Go! To Make Big Apple Dreams Come True

It’s count down time for two fit Aberdeen business women who are lacing up their running shoes to take part in New York’s world famous marathon.

With only two weeks to go until the big day, Judith Thorpe and Karen Molloy of Thorpe Molloy Recruitment have already raised over £4,000 for the children’s charity Dreams Come True.

“Preparation for the marathon really has taken over our lives – I’m even dreaming about it! But we’ve been overwhelmed by how generous everyone has been, each day we get a little closer to our target of £6,000. Because we are self funding the challenge, every penny donated will go to Dreams Come True.” says Karen.

The girls were prompted to enter their first ever marathon after keen runner Karen persuaded Judith to run a marathon with her to raise more money for the charity, even though Judith has never run seriously before!

The pair gave themselves five months to prepare for the grueling, long distance feat on November 6th.

Karen says her love of running will help ensure she is ready for the 26 miles slog, “It’s going to be a huge challenge! I’ve been a keen runner for a number of years but this is in a different league. I think I started racking up the miles too enthusiastically and picked up a few injuries in the early stages of my preparation.”

“Jude and I have followed different training schedules, because I’m used to running every day it was easier for me to step up to longer distances but I needed to concentrate more on my stamina and pace. As a novice runner, Jude’s training has involved much shorter distances with a gradual increase in mileage.”

Judith adds, “It’s no secret that I like my food and find regular exercise a bit of a chore. But training for the marathon is a win : win for me, a chance to get fitter and lose weight for my brother’s wedding whilst raising money for charity too.”

“Although I am a less experienced runner, I’m warning Karen that like the story about the hare and the tortoise it’s not always the fastest that finishes first!”

Look out for Judith’s “Dreams Come True” dress. She’s been wearing it at every function she’s attended over the past few months to help raise awareness about their fundraising activities.

Karen continues “A lot of time has been set aside to fit in the training. We’ve kept focused in different ways, Jude’s been working one to one with a personal trainer while I’ve participated in a weekly group session with other runners from Aberdeen who are taking part in the marathon for the same cause and Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital ARCHIE Foundation.”

“Running this marathon is a once in a lifetime experience for us, although other runners have told us that we’ll become hooked and want to take on another one. However, I’ve promised my husband, Mike, that this is my first and last - he can’t get used to me sleeping by 9.30pm!!

“It’s all worth it though, we are both very proud to be running for Dreams Come True. This charity arranges unforgettable experiences, which fulfill dreams and create memories for very brave, seriously and terminally ill children who often endure painful and frightening treatments. We’re determined to raise as much money as we can for them – so if you drive past either one of us during our training sessions, toot your horn, it’ll give us a boost!”

If you would like to support their efforts to make a difference for children through Dreams Come True then there is a number of ways you can help. They can be sponsored in a number of ways, either through www.thorpemolloy.com/bigapplerun2011 or by using www.easyfundraising.org.uk which is a free website where you can shop with your favourite online stores and at no extra cost raise funds for any charity. The girls also welcome any prize donations which could be auctioned off or raffled for charity.

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