Latest news with #AJBellGreatManchesterRun
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gemma Atkinson ‘struggles' through race – but raises £17,000 for East Lancs charity
Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez took part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday (May 18), raising thousands for an Edenfield charity. Gemma, a former Hollyoaks actress from Bury, took part in the 10K run with fiancé Gorka. The radio presenter struggled but managed to complete the run. At the time of writing, her efforts have helped raise more than £17,000 for Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary. Gemma, who is ambassador and president of the animal sanctuary, said: 'We are just home. Hand on heart, I cannot thank you all enough. You have made more than [£17,000] for Bleakholt. Last year we raised £10,000 so in my head I wanted to get more than that. Gemma Atkinson with a cat (Image: Bleakholt) 'Gorka loved it – I hated it. It wasn't fun, there was nothing fun about it. I didn't enjoy the run. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the day, the people. 'If you did it and you're not a runner, well done. It is tough and I struggled.' The money will go towards Bleakholt's Project Purrfect, which is a £300,000 renovation and extension of its cattery which will help more neglected and abandoned cats in the region. The extension will allow the sanctuary to house at least another 100 cats while also improving the welfare of the cats they look after. Sanctuary manager Karen Weed said: "We are blown away by the money Gemma and Gorka have raised for our Project Purrfect. "We are so thankful to them for doing the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run for us and for everyone who sponsored them. "This is a massive boost as we begin Project Purrfect this year, which is a £300,000 renovation and extension of our cattery which will help more neglected and abandoned cats in the north-west. "Only this weekend we had five large kittens left in a plastic box on site. Every penny Gemma and Gorka raised will go straight to Project Purrfect."
Wales Online
18-05-2025
- Wales Online
Police officer's life 'changed forever' after going to the pub with her mates
Police officer's life 'changed forever' after going to the pub with her mates Mairead Clabby was just 23 when she was attacked while off-duty and left with serious neck and back and brain injuries She suffered years of debilitating pain after she was assaulted as a volunteer police officer It was an ordinary evening at the pub that would forever alter the life of Mairead Clabby. In December 2012, the then 23-year-old volunteer police officer had gone for a pint with some colleagues on the Wirral. Despite being off-duty, the group of officers were called into action when a violent row erupted between a couple, leaving the woman unconscious. As Mairead rang for medical help while her colleagues apprehended him, the woman regained consciousness and attempted to force her way back to his side. For her own safety, Mairead intervened, but the woman turned violent, kicking Mairead in the stomach, dragging her to the floor, pulling her hair out and throttling her. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . "It took three officers to restrain her in the end," Mairead remembered. "She yanked my hair and banged my head against the floor. I was left in considerable pain." I recall trying to persuade one of my colleagues, who I was giving a lift home, to leave because I could sense the atmosphere in the pub shifting," Mairead added. "But sadly, I didn't depart early enough," reports the Manchester Evening News. "The young officer was left with what she initially thought were muscular injuries to her neck and shoulder. However, despite numerous rounds of physiotherapy over the five years following the assault, there was no improvement." Article continues below It was making me quite ill at times. I suspected there might be something else going on, but I never had any scans. "As time passed, Mairead noticed her strength diminishing. I couldn't lift things in the office, my arm was getting shaky, I was getting quite weak and it was getting to a point where after my shift I was having to have a rest for four or five hours, get up for a little bit, and then go back to bed. Mairead is now running the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run for the Walton Centre "I knew something was going wrong. I was bumping into things, I wasn't able to write and type properly and I was losing feeling down like my right arm. Mairead returned to her GP and was initially recommended another round of physiotherapy. However, she opted to see another doctor who referred her for an MRI results exposed four herniated discs in her neck as well as a chiari malformation, a condition where brain tissue protrudes into the spinal canal often resulting from serious whiplash." "At that point I was the illest I'd ever been," Mairead reflected. "I had put on around seven stone and I wasn't really mobile. I had been a competitive athlete before the assault, but I was struggling doing walks around the block. It was a huge adjustment and it was really getting me down." Subsequently, she was directed to the Walton Centre in Liverpool, known for its neurology specialisation, where she underwent surgery to remove one of the problematic discs and insert a graft in its place. "It was life-changing straight away," she said. "As soon as my feet hit the floor walking around the ward I haven't really stopped. I lost about three stone in three months just from walking again." With help from the Police Treatment Centre, Mairead commenced her slow journey to recovery, and approximately a year later took up running, previously a competitive sport for her. Having Olympic athletes Eilish McColgan and Michael Rimmer as coaches, she's gradually regaining her strength and fitness. "Things are so different to how they were. I'm still on medication for my nerve pain and I'm still under the Walton Centre but the operation was really a turning point. " Article continues below Mairead is set to participate in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run this Sunday, aiming to fundraise for the Walton Centre. She expressed her excitement about the challenge, especially running alongside Greater Manchester's own star, Keely Hodgkinson, who'll be starting the event.
ITV News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- ITV News
Great Manchester Run 2025 set to be "biggest in a decade"
Thousands of runners are preparing to take part in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run this weekend. The huge spectacle - which takes place on Sunday (18 May) - will see 35,000 people take to the start line, making this year's event the biggest in a decade. Joy Division legend Peter Hook will be participating on behalf of The Christie Hospital in Manchester for the 14th time. Speaking ahead of the race, Peter said: "I've been very proud to do it because when you get there and you see the support, it is amazing. "It's awful to think how many of us have been, you know, touched by illness with people that we love. It breaks your heart. "So yeah, you always feel like you're doing something definitely to help, which is the main thing." Most participants will attempt to complete a 10k or - some like Joanne Harding from Urmston - will run a half marathon. Joanne is taking part alongside her daughter, Grace. The pair are raising money for British Heart Foundation after Joanne's ex partner suffered a cardiac arrest last year. Joanne said: "Whilst Steve is still with us, he very sadly suffered what's called a hypoxic brain injury because he wasn't revived as quickly as necessary. "[We're running to] raise awareness of the importance of knowing how to do CPR and save a life." A number of road closures will be in place during the event and are being urged to use public transport where possible. Full updates throughout the weekend will be available here.
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Strictly's Gorka Marquez suffers facial injury after family holiday with Gemma and kids
Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Márquez enjoyed a holiday in Tenerife with his fiancée Gemma Atkinson and their two children recently, with them having not long returned home Professional dancer Gorka Márquez has revealed that he injured himself whilst on holiday with Gemma Atkinson and their two children recently. He shared the news this week ahead of an appointment to address the impact of it. Gorka, 34, and his fiancée Gemma, 40, enjoyed some time away in Tenerife with their kids Mia, five, and Thiago, one, recently. The family returned to the UK just last week after soaking up the sun on the largest of the Canary Islands. Since coming back home, Gorka and Gemma - who met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 - have continued to prepare for the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run. The couple are set to take part in the half marathon in Manchester on May 18. Whilst sharing an update over his progress on his Instagram Story this morning, Gorka revealed to his followers that he chipped one of his teeth during their holiday last month. He shared that he's yet to get it "fixed" by a dentist though. In the video posted earlier today, Gorka explained that he had just finished a run ahead of the half marathon in two weeks. He went on to confirm, after teasing that some fans would notice it, that he had recently damaged a tooth. Gorka didn't provide any details on how he sustained the injury, but told fans: "For the ones who might notice - yes, I chipped my tooth on holiday. I have to get it fixed." Then further showing off the tooth, he said: "So yeah ... cute!" The news comes after Gorka shared updates throughout his trip with his partner and their kids. At one point, he told his followers on the platform in a post shortly before they returned home: "Always a fun holiday in Tenerife." Just days ago, Gorka - who is best known for having been a dancer on Strictly since 2016 - reflected on the holiday with his family. He suggested that one of his "favourite" moments had been watching sunset with Gemma, Mia and Thiago. Alongside photos of them at a beach, he wrote: "One of my favourite of the holidays was just to watch the sun go down all together. Find it so relaxing and also so incredible just to think at the same time that we're watching the sunset somewhere in the world [others] are watching the sunrise." Gemma, who had also been sharing updates from their holiday, confirmed last weekend that the family were heading home after their time away. She teased in a post on her account that it had been "what [they] all needed". Alongside photos from time spent in a pool, she wrote in the post shared on April 27: "Adiós Tenerife. Vitamin D, great food, great sleep, loads of swimming and lots of laughs. Just what we all needed. Until next time."
