Runners lace up for fatal illness charity

A TEAM of 36 runners is limbering up for a half marathon to raise money for research into motor neurone disease led by a scientist investigating the condition which claimed her father’s life.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Mar 2014, 16:19 BST

Neuroscientist Emily Goodall, 32, and her sister Helen, 31, lost their father David to the disease when they were still teenagers.

Now the pair are preparing to step out in next month’s Sheffield half marathon to raise cash for the South Yorkshire branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, as well as raise money for new equipment at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience where Dr Goodall has been conducting research into potential causes of the illness which kills five people a day in the UK.

She said: “Working in MND research has helped me come to terms with what happened to my dad and given me immense hope that the mystery of MND can be solved and treatments found.”

Her sister Helen is flying from Australia to join the team which hopes to raise £10,000. To support them go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/StreakingMeerkats.