The devastating loss of her best friend of 30 years set Trust HQ's Natasha Vardon some real challenges including runs, peaks and mud!
This Saturday she's doing the Ullswater Mighty Hike - 26 miles around the lake edge - after having already completed a 10k Tough Mudder and epic Yorkshire Three Peaks.
She lost her best friend of 30 years to breast cancer two years ago and has been fundraising for her for Macmillan for five years - every year it's a different challenge. Last year she ended up the poster girl - see attached - for the Leeds Half Marathon adding: " My fake eyelashes must have looked good at the end of the run!" She ran it with Dr Nosheen Khan (pictured) who is one of our Doctors in Ophthalmology and her training buddy, as it was her first ever half marathon.
Natahsa worked at CHFT about 20 years ago for Dr Brian Lalor. She left to travel to Australia and New Zealand and then worked for Lloyds Banking Group and came back a year ago as both children were in school full-time.
She adds: " I didn’t work when Rachel was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 37 so I became her carer, every week taking her for chemo and hospital appts over a two year period until she passed away in January 2017. I started doing the Macmillan events when she was first diagnosed and even she did a few Race for Life events with me when she was well enough. But I promised her I would to fundraise for her for Macmillan and the Macmillan Unit at Halifax and do an activity I have never tried before each year."
Natasha's husband will be hiking with her in this year's challenge. She got him to do the Three Peaks 3 peaks with her with no training but he dodged the Leeds run sitting on the streetside with their sons.
About Leeds, she says: " That was by far the hardest event I have achieved, lots of training and time commitment. The day of the race was really hot last year and all my false tan ran off! I had a very streaky finish line photo but managed to keep my eyelashes on! "
You can help Natasha raise money for this great cause by donating directly to her fundraising page - https://www.justgiving.com/Natasha-Vardon4?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Natasha-Vardon4&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=g4pwMjg36.