Sue's marathon effort for St John's Ambulance

She tried four times to win a place in the London Marathon but now Sue Mercer's application has been successful and the hard work has started.

She is counting down the weeks to the gruelling challenge and is using it as an opportunity to raise funds for St John’s Ambulance, of which husband Dave is a member.

Sue, of Ashdown Road, ran the London Marathon back in 2000 and knows what to expect.

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She is eleven years older, at the age of 49, but expects to be “significantly” quicker because of experience and training but also taking part in half marathons such as the recent one in Tunbridge Wells.

She commented: “My son, Christopher, is also running for the first time but we won’t be running together as I am sure he will not want me to hold him back. He is 26 and has been doing all his training on the hills around the Yorkshire Moors where he now lives.

“I am a member of Hastings Runners, and although I run regularly I am daunted by the prospect of 26.2 miles as I know it is going to take an awful long time to complete.”

She has decided to run the marathon in support of St John’s Ambulance, the Bexhill branch in particular, and is aiming at purchasing a Fat Old Fred, which is a resuscitation dummy needed for training first aiders, and a vacuum mattress which will help with casualty handling.

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Sue said: “I am sure we have all had cause over the years to appreciate the work of St John Ambulance; whether it is providing first aid cover at a local or national event that would not be able to go ahead without the provision of experienced volunteers, or through training in first aid.

“But not so many people realise that the volunteers also provide a vital service through the First Responder scheme whereby they work alongside the Ambulance Service to respond to 999 emergency calls from the public and can provide the vital early assistance that can make the difference between a happy or sad outcome.

“Also St John provide extra cover during times of escalated need, such as the snow and ice we experienced before Christmas – providing vehicle resources with their 4x4 ambulances and additional cover to the A&E response service.”

Anyone who would like to back Sue in her fundraising can do so by going to - http://www.justgiving.com/SusanMercer

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