Patsy’s mighty effort
After her granddaughter had a stroke at the age of just one, Patsy Holt wanted to do something special to thank the medical staff who supported little Alanna, affectionately dubbed “Mousie”, through one of the most difficult periods of her short life.
The avid walker hatched a plan to run a marathon − her first at age 73! − to raise money for two organisations that made a difference to Alanna through her health crisis – Starship’s neurology department and the Young Stroke Thrivers Foundation.
Giving herself just six months to get race ready, Patsy was already running up to 32km a week in preparation for the Rotorua Marathon when we caught up with her in March.
Come the big day, the gutsy gran took on the gruelling
42km circuit and finished in just over six hours, coming second in her age group!
“It was brutal but amazing,” Patsy tells. “[My daughter] Lucianne had made signs and the girls wouldn’t leave the race.
“When I was faltering, I knew somewhere along the road there would be my amazing family shouting me on,” she recalls with emotion. “Coming across the finish line, I had Lucianne and Mousie with me. There was this joy of what had happened and what we had all achieved. To finish with them by my side, there are no words to describe it.”
She’s still stunned by her podium finish, saying all she wanted to do was make it to the end.
“To come second in my age group was just amazing. I felt it was a big thank you to all those people who donated and sent me best wishes. I felt it was because of all of them that I achieved what I did.”
In turn, Patsy was able to raise $9039 for the health teams that made a world of difference to her youngest grandchild.
“When Mousie was at her final check-up, they gave a written report and there was a lovely note from her consultant to say thank you to me.“