Stroke survivor fights back to run marathon
A Burgess Hill resident successfully completed the TCS London Marathon at the weekend just five months after suffering a stroke.
Paul Weller, 37, ran the 26.2-mile race in memory of stepmother jenny well er, who died last year after she was diagnosed with 14 brain tumours in just 18 months.
Jenny launched a series of fundraisers for Brain Tumour Research and ALK Positive UK after her terminal cancer diagnosis, raising more than £26,000 for Brain Tumour Research under the banner Wellerfest.
Paul was unable to train for six weeks following his stroke, but was determined to run the marathon to raise more money for Brain Tumour Research.
He said: “Dad was worried about me running the marathon, the same way that he was worried about Jen doing
Wellerfest, but I didn’t want to defer. i’ ve always said‘ ifj en can do what she did, then I can run the marathon’.”
The former fire fighter, who now works as a dispatcher for South East Coast Ambulance
Service, finished the marathon in just over six hours.
He said: "I’ve got a replacement ankle and was in a lot of pain after about 13 miles so it was about managing it from that point.”
He ran the marathon in 2021 with a 20kg breathing apparatus on his back, while Jen watched and supported him.
Paul said:“i had really wanted to take more in because I didn’t feel I made the most of it last time, but I spent too much of it feeling emotional. I remembered certain points where Jen had been when I did the last one and that brought back a lot of memories.”
Jen was 35 in September 2020 when she was diagnosed with a primary tumour in her lung, five secondary tumours in her brain, and others in her neck and pelvis. She had surgery, drug therapy and radiotherapy, but her health deterioratedafter she discovered she had a further nine brain tumours. Jen died in a hospice in May last year.
Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jen was a brave and inspirational woman who touched the heart so fall who knew her. she helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for research and continued to put others first by doing what she could to raise awareness of this cruel disease right up until the end. She would have been proud of paul for running on Sunday, as are we. We can’t thank him enough for his continued support.”
Visit 2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/ paul-weller to support Paul’s fundraising.