A woman who was told by doctors she would never run again is defying the odds and taking on the London Marathon for disability charity Henshaws.
Lucy Evans, who lives in Yorkshire, first started experiencing back pain 10 years ago at the age of 40.
Her life suddenly turned upside down when one day she went to pick up a bag of compost from outside her home and her back ‘just went’, forcing her to crawl on her hands and knees to get inside.
Lucy, who works as a chief customer officer, was left unable to walk for three months and forced to take pain medication from the moment she woke up each morning.
She said:
“I couldn’t move for three months. It was horrific it got to the point that I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t get upstairs to bed.
“I was waking up and having painkillers and felt like I was in and out of a comatosed situation. I was like a living zombie.
“I was told time and time again ‘just rest and take painkillers’. I was on medication for a ridiculous amount of time and as soon as it started to get better I would do something like lose my footing on a step, jolt myself and be back to square one again.
“I went from being absolutely terrified I’d never properly walk again to being so comatosed to the point of not caring and just didn’t see an end in sight.”
After six months of being on an NHS waiting list and unable to cope with the pain any longer Lucy paid £2,000 to have steroid injections.
Eventually Lucy began receiving NHS treatment and started having epidurals and getting her nerve endings cauterised every year to manage the pain.
Lucy was told by doctors that over time fluid had leaked from one of the disks in her back, and she was ‘not going to get better’ or ever be able to cycle or run again. She was also told that there was nothing she could do to make it worse.
Remembering that time, Lucy said:
“I was pretty miserable I thought it was something I was going to have to live with forever and I thought the next step was getting a mobility pass.”
When lockdown hit in 2020, Lucy feared she was going to get ‘really ill’ from Covid due to her low fitness levels.
She added:
“I couldn’t get to the doctors, and they stopped doing the injections for my back and said they couldn’t see me.
“I thought right well I’m going try and do something to get a bit healthier and a bit fitter."
Lucy got a Peloton bike and began cycling before then starting walk running. Eight months later she completed her first half marathon.
She said:
“I just thought I’ve got nothing to lose I need to try and get mobile myself. I still suffer a bit with back pain but have had no injections or epidurals since lockdown.
“My first milestone was one minute running, and I built up bit by bit from there.”
On her decision to do a half marathon, Lucy said:
“I wanted to prove I could do something difficult and beat the stigma, I don’t like being told I can’t.”
Lucy, now 51, is lacing up her running shoes and taking on her first London marathon next month to raise funds for Henshaws, a local charity that supports people living with sight loss and other disabilities.
On how she feels about taking on the gruelling 26.2 mile course in April, Lucy said:
“I’m absolutely terrified. I know I’ll get round somehow.”
Lucy is aiming to raise £2,000 to support Henshaws’ services including its Arts Crafts Centre in Knaresborough.
The centre enhances the lives of people with disabilities by offering a welcoming space where they can explore their artistic talents and express themselves through a variety of activities and workshops while making new friendships.
Lucy said:
“I want to change other people’s lives while proving everybody wrong and showing that I can do it.
"I went to Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre and thought it was absolutely fantastic so I’m just hoping my fundraising does something to keep it thriving.”
Lucy applied for a charity place and is now one of the Team Henshaws London Marathon runners.
She hopes that by sharing her story she will inspire others.
She said:
“For me it’s about inspiring other people to listen to their bodies and not to other people. If your head is saying I really want to do something just give it a go."
Support Lucy here and find more information on how to run for Henshaws here.
If you’re running the London Marathon on April 27 and want to raise money in aid of Henshaws email fundraising@henshaws.org.uk
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