AN 80-year-old runner who took on a half-marathon challenge in aid of a sepsis charity after being inspired by a young Islander who had to have all four limbs amputated has raised more than £2,000.
Janine Fossey (80), who has been a member of athletics club Jersey Spartans for 28 years, took part in a half-marathon in London recently.
She has previously completed four marathons in London, Paris, Brighton and Chester, two Great North Runs, a Spartan half marathon and various 5k and 10k races since taking up running at the age of 48.
Ms Fossey completed the half-marathon with an initial goal of raising £1,000 for Sepsis Research FEAT, the UK’s only sepsis charity, for which Islander Lily McGarry is an ambassador.
Miss McGarry went into septic shock after contracting meningitis B during her third year of university, where she was studying medicine. Doctors had to perform a quadruple amputation to save her life, and Miss McGarry has since continued her recovery in Jersey, alongside advocating for students to get the meningitis B vaccination and be aware of the early symptoms.
Ms Fossey told the JEP that she had known Miss McGarry and her family since she was a toddler, and that she deserved “all of the accolades she could get”.
She completed the Oysho Royal Parks half-marathon, a 13.1-mile challenge which sees participants cross the finish line in front of the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall, in three hours and two minutes, carrying on despite experiencing thigh pain after the first four miles. She came third in her age group.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the first four miles, and then my thigh started to hurt… But I carried on anyway. It was all for Lily.
“I’ve been so lucky to have so much help,” Ms Fossey said.
At present, Ms Fossey has raised an “unbelievable” £2,069 for Sepsis Research – through JustGiving, friends and even people she does not know donating money or giving her cash.
Ms Fossey said “I really wanted to thank people who I don’t know who have donated and those who donated without giving their name.
“It is a lovely race but it was nothing to do with what my final time ended up being – I did it all for Lily.”
The JustGiving link is still open, and Islanders can continue to donate here.
