On their marks for virtual run
Staff at a health trust are gearing up to take on the Great North Run for charity.
Heart specialist Dr Mickey Jachuck will set off on Su n d ay o n h i s f i r s t G reat North Run – from his doorstep.
Dr Jachuck is among a number of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust staff who will join the thousands of people worldwide taking part in the Virtual Great North Run on the day the 40th staging o f th e h a l f - m a rath o n wa s scheduled to take place.
C o n su l ta nt C a rd io l o - gist Dr Jachuck’s previous involvement with the Run has been through his job as a doctor, as part of the medical team on standby on the day at South Tyneside District Hospital.
Dr Jachuck said: “I was a complete non-runner until about a year ago.
"A s a c o n su l ta nt c a rd i - ologist, I spend a lot of my time telling patients about the benefits of regular exercise, but I became aware that I wasn’t following my own advice.
"I decided to do something about it and started doing the ‘couch to 5k’ running plan last year.
"I s u r p r i s e d mys e l f b y sticking with it and continuing to run after I had completed it.
"I fou n d th at go i n g out for a run two or three times a week wa s really helping my mental and physical well being – I felt better and lost weight.
“As I was really enjoying my running, and after managing a few longer runs, I decided to bite the bullet and enter the GNR 2020, running for the British Heart Foundation.”
T h e T r u s t ’s D i r e c t o r o f C o m m u n i c at i o n s , L i z Davies, will also be tackling the 13.1-mile distance on Sunday, running in memory of her niece Ivy Margaret D av ie s to ra i s e m o n ey fo r 4Louis and for the Trust’s charity.
4Louis was there for her brother, Mike, and his wife, Kat , wh e n th e i r d aug hte r was stillborn in November 2019.
Liz said: “Without 4Louis, my family wouldn’t have the memories that we have.
"T h ey gave my b roth e r and his wife the chance to ke e p th i n g s suc h a s h a n d and footprints.
"T h i n g s yo u w o u l d n’ t think of in those moments of grief but which they will cherish forever.”