26
Mar
Woman told she'd never run again to race London marathon for Henshaws
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A woman who was told she would never be able to exercise again will run the London marathon for a Knaresborough charity next month.
Lucy Evans will aim to complete the 26-mile course for Henshaws, which supports people living with sight loss or other disabilities.
Ms Evans started experiencing back pain 10 years ago, aged 40. Shortly after, she was left unable to walk for three months and forced to take pain relief all day after her back gave way during gardening.
She said:
It was horrific. It got to the point that I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t get upstairs to bed. I was waking up and having painkillers and felt like I was in and out of a comatosed situation. I was like a living zombie.
I was told time and time again ‘just rest and take painkillers’. I was on medication for a ridiculous amount of time and as soon as it started to get better, I would do something like lose my footing on a step, jolt myself and be back to square one again.
After waiting six months for NHS treatment with little progress, she decided to instead pay £2,000 to have steroid injections.
When she began receiving NHS treatment, she was told that fluid had leaked from one of the discs in her back and that she would never be able to cycle or run again. Doctors told her there was nothing she could do to make it better.
Ms Evans said that this was a particularly depressing period of her life, saying she thought it was something she was going to have to live with forever. She recalls thinking that “the next step was getting a mobility pass”.
During lockdown in 2020, she decided she was going to start to try to exercise more, out of fear of becoming seriously ill otherwise.
She said:
I couldn’t get to the doctors, and they stopped doing the injections for my back and said they couldn’t see me. I thought right well I’m going try and do something to get a bit healthier and a bit fitter.
I just thought I’ve got nothing to lose I need to try and get mobile myself. I still suffer a bit with back pain but have had no injections or epidurals since lockdown. My first milestone was one minute running, and I built up bit by bit from there.
She started off on a Peloton bike, before moving to walk-running. Within eight months, she had completed her first half marathon.
The 51-year-old is now preparing to do her first marathon in London next month. She said she was nervous to take on the 26.2-mile course:
I’m absolutely terrified. I know I’ll get round somehow.
I want to change other people’s lives while proving everybody wrong and showing that I can do it. I went to Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre and thought it was absolutely fantastic so I’m just hoping my fundraising does something to keep it thriving.
Ms Evans is aiming to raise £2,000 to support Henshaws, including its Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough.
The centre provides a space for those with disabilities to express themselves through artistic activities and workshops.
The event will take place on April 27. You can support Lucy here, and find more information on how to run for Henshaws here.
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