IF she can do it anyone can: a busy mum-of-four and full-time nurse from Tameside is running the Manchester Marathon to help promote the importance of looking after your cardiac health.
Rebecca Jones, 36, who works at Tameside Hospital, will also raise funds for the British Heart Foundation in memory of a colleague’s son who died suddenly from heart disease last year.
Ryan Hollings from Glossop, the son of Rebecca’s colleague Paula Hollings, was 31 when he died from undiagnosed cardiomyopathy. Rebecca is calling her marathon challenge Running for Ryan in his memory.
Ryan’s death was not linked to lifestyle choices, but Rebecca said her experience of being a nurse in an area with one of the highest rates of heart disease in the country showed how important it was to look after your heart health.
“We’ve got one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the UK here in Tameside, statistics show that apparently we’ve got double the annual number of cardiovascular deaths than in more affluent regions in the UK.” said Rebecca, who is mum to Thomas, 15, Toby, 9, Edward, 6, and Alexander, 4.
“A huge part of being a nurse isn’t just about looking after people when they become unwell, it’s also about encouraging people to take ownership of their own health.
“I wanted to do this for the BHF because there’s a direct link between lifestyle and cardiovascular disease. BHF is a good charity to go for as the annual number of cardiovascular deaths has halved in this country since the charity was established.”
Rebecca said she understood how difficult people found it to fit exercise into their day but wanted to inspire others to try and find the time like she had.
“I lost five stone over last three years,” she said. “Before that, I was overweight, with three under five at home, working full time, and I just decided that this was not the person I wanted to show my kids I was.
“I started running because it’s easy to get into – you can run anywhere at any time, you don’t need expensive equipment or expensive gyms. When I finish here I go home, I sort my boys out, I put them to bed and then I run.
“I think that looking after yourself is so important – everyone’s life is busy but if we just prioritise 30 minutes a day it makes enormous differences just to how you feel, how healthy you are.
“It’s also really great for your mental health, when you get out and you’ve got a good playlist.. You get a bit of time to yourself which reduces your stress and that’s even better for your cardiovascular system as well.”
BHF Events Manager Ellie Mynes said she was really impressed with Rebecca’s dedication. “Here at the BHF we’re grateful to Rebecca for her efforts to raise funds which will help pay for research into heart disease.
“Heart and circulatory diseases cause 55 deaths each month in Tameside and 70 per cent of adults in the area are obese or overweight – way above the national average.
“It can be hard when you live a busy life to find the time to exercise but Rebecca is showing that it is possible to do it. “To find time to train for a marathon may be difficult for most people but even if you can only find 30 minutes a day you will feel the benefits – both physically and mentally.”
There are still places available to run for BHF in the Manchester Marathon – visit the BHF website for details.
Support Rebecca at Rebecca Jones is fundraising for British Heart Foundation (justgiving.com)