An inspirational grandmother has completed a 55km solo run challenge after being diagnosed with a rare brain tumour.
Sara Crosland, 45, from Cheshire, took on the 35-mile Sandstone Trail to raise money for Brain Tumour Research. The route, which involved a 1,268m ascent, took her just over 11 hours to complete. Sara’s amazing efforts came two years after she was diagnosed with a large acoustic neuroma brain tumour, which left her profoundly deaf with no balance on one side and unable to walk.
Sara, who welcomed her first grandchild Rico into the world during lockdown, had been training to take on a charity Lake District 100km Ultra Marathon Challenge in June, alongside her friend and fellow brain tumour survivor Danielle Gibbons. However, the coronavirus pandemic meant that the event was cancelled and so Sara reinvented her fundraising challenge to something she could do safely.
The mother-of-three is now reflecting on the rollercoaster she has been on over the past couple of years: “Recovering from brain surgery has been anything but plain sailing. The struggle is real, every single day. Completing this challenge marks a real milestone in my recovery and is a huge personal achievement. I am so grateful to everyone who supported me and donated to this hugely important cause.”
Matthew Price, Brain Tumour Research’s Community Development Manager for the North said: “Sara’s commitment to fundraising after all that she has been through is truly remarkable and we can’t thank her enough for her efforts.
“With the cancellation and postponement of many of 2020’s big challenge events – including the Virgin Money London Marathon – we have been continually amazed by the myriad of different ways our supporters have responded to the challenge of finding new ways of raising money.”
To help Sara reach her £1,000 target, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/anwarriorsteamIf you found this story interesting or helpful, sign up to our weekly e-news and keep up to date with all the latest from Brain Tumour Research.