Brain Tumour UK runner chosen as marathon VIP
A Wolverhampton man who plans to run the London Marathon in tribute to his wife, who has a brain tumour, has been chosen as a VIP runner.
Tim Astill, a member of the Brain Tumour UK 2012 marathon team, is the first winner of the Virgin Money Giving VIP Marathon Prize draw.
Tim, 52, of Penn, will start from the celebrity start line, stay over in the Tower Hotel London the night before and mingle with stars and the top runners at the after party.
His prize also includes VIP transport to the start, two tickets for supporters to watch the race from the official grandstand, £600 of Adidas kit, a Timex GPS watch and Lucozade supplies.
The health-and-safety manager for Castrol had no idea he’d entered the draw automatically by opening a virginmoneygiving.com page to boost his fundraising efforts.
“The first thing I knew about the draw was when I got the email telling me I’d won. I was gobsmacked,” he says.
He chose Brain Tumour UK because his wife Jan was diagnosed with a brain tumour six years ago and he wants to help people like her.
“It was a huge shock, because it came out of the blue.”
“We are positive and try to enjoy the time we have, but the difficult thing is not knowing whether the tumour will grow,” he says.
Claire Glazebrook, Brain Tumour UK’s Head of Fundraising, says:” We’re delighted that Tim has won this competition. Online fundraising has shown tremendous growth and virginmoneygiving is only one of the ways in which people can raise funds online to help us improve life for people affected by the condition. Every year 16,000(1) people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour in the UK. ”
To sponsor Tim, visit his Virgin Money Giving page.
ENDS
For more information or to interview Tim Astill, contact us.
Notes to the editors
(1) A Manifesto for everyone affected by a brain tumour, March 2011.
Brain Tumour UK is the leading, caring charity committed to fighting brain tumours. Our personalised support is available online, on the phone, by email and through support groups. The research we fund improves the quality of life for brain tumour patients and identifies better treatments. We raise awareness to change things for the better, for everyone affected by a brain tumour.
Helpline: 0845 4500 386
