Applecross trio set to do village proud in Marathon
A REMOTE West Highland community will be well represented in Sunday’s London Marathon, with more than one per cent of the entire population – or three people – taking part.
Dr Gerry McPartlin, 71, who retired to the Applecross Peninsula, is running to raise money for the Prostate Cancer UK charity. More than £6,000 has already been pledged.
He is doing it in memory of his brother Joe, a Scottish rugby internationalist who won six caps between 1960 and 1962, played for Harlequins and captained the Oxford University XV when he was a student. He died of prostate cancer in October last year aged 75.
Gerry said “I’m 71 and have been treated for prostate cancer myself, surgery and radiotherapy, in the past 18 months. I’ve lived in Applecross for the past 12 years since retiring as a GP in Edinburgh. In 2010, I raised nearly £50,000 by climbing all the Munros in 88 days – a record for a pensioner. The money raised was for a new L’Arche home in Edinburgh for adults with learning disabilities.”
He said he had now taken on the challenge of the London Marathon for three main reasons: “To honour my brother Joe’s memory; to help raise awareness of this cancer, which is the most common male cancer in the UK affecting one in eight; and to encourage men, like me, with prostate cancer, to remain active.”
He is joined by Sarah McCowan, 35, his niece, who is running for the Fight for Sight research organisation; and Jess Whistance, 39, for the local Venture Trust, both also from Applecross.