​Barnsley stroke survivor set to take on London Marathon to celebrate 25 years

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​Barnsley stroke survivor set to take on London Marathon to celebrate 25 years

A stroke survivor from Darfield is preparing to take on the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon for the Stroke Association to mark 25 years since her stroke.

Teaching assistant Pamela Kirk, 43, had a major stroke in 1992 when she was just 18 years old. Fortunately Pamela has made a good recovery, although she still has slight weakness in her right side and her memory has been affected.

Pamela said: “Thinking positively, my stroke has helped me become the person I am today. This year marks 25 years of being a stroke survivor. To celebrate my recovery, I wanted to run the London Marathon and raise funds to help other stroke survivors to get the support they need.

“I originally started running to mark my 20 year milestone, and I trained for the Leeds 10k in 2012. When I became a teaching assistant I stopped running, but started training again in December 2015. From there, I took part in parkruns and joined two running clubs. I’m feeling confident; last week’s training run was 18 miles. I’m in the mindset that if my stroke didn’t break me, nothing will!”

Emma Evans, Events Manager at the Stroke Association, said: “With around 1.2 million people across the UK living with the devastating impact of stroke, it is vital that we have people who can raise funds and help us to conquer stroke. We’re really grateful to Pamela for taking on the Virgin Money London Marathon. We’ll be cheering her on every step of the way as she makes her way through London next month. The money raised through the marathon will fund vital research and support for stroke survivors, as well as help to prevent people from having a stroke.”

Participants can apply for the 2018 Virgin London Marathon ballot from 01 - 05 May at www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com. Please select the Stroke Association as your preferred charity to apply for a place in the Stroke Association’s team.

The Stroke Association is the UK’s leading stroke charity which campaigns to improve stroke care; supports people to make the best recovery they can; and funds ground-breaking research to change the lives of people affected by stroke. For more information about stroke, ring the Helpline on 0303 30 33 100 or visit www.stroke.org.uk.

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  • A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year; that is around one stroke every five minutes. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke. 
  • Stroke Association is a charity. We believe in life after stroke and together we can conquer stroke. We work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. We campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. We fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk

    • Contacts

    Vicki Hall

    Vicki Hall

    Press contact PR Manager Fundraising and local services 0161 742 7478

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    The UK's leading stroke charity helping people to rebuild their lives after stroke

    The Stroke Association. We believe in life after stroke. That’s why we campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best possible recovery. It’s why we fund research to develop new treatments and ways to prevent stroke. The Stroke Association is a charity. We rely on your support to change lives and prevent stroke. Together we can conquer stroke.

    Stroke Association

    240 City Road
    EC1V 2PR London
    UK