The scholarships are named ‘Celina’s Path Opportunity Scholarship’ in memory of Celina, who sadly lost her life to Leukaemia in 2017. Edward wanted to support students in her memory, as Celina had just started university when she got diagnosed with Leukaemia and had to start chemotherapy.
This will be Edward’s fourth marathon in his fundraising efforts. He will be running alongside his colleague, Geoffrey who first got Edward into running around 20 years ago.
Edward has raised over £15,000 for the scholarship fund so far. He said:
“The most rewarding part is meeting with the students that these efforts have supported, watching them make the most out of their time at university and thriving at the same time.
“Meeting them was really inspiring and I am pleased that the support is going to people who want to go to university and make the most of their time there.
“I see the value in being a helping hand and I know that at different times we all need some sort of support.”
Edward came across two challenges while preparing for the London Marathon. He said:
“Firstly, finding the time to train, getting up at 5:30am to run before work has been difficult. It feels like there’s a need to assess your own sanity to do something like this! “Secondly, I turned 60 last year, so running now is very different from when I started. Recovery and reaction times aren’t the same, and seeing other runners hitting fast times is humbling.
“My colleague Geoffrey is turning 70 two days before the marathon, which is incredibly inspiring. Geoffrey broke his neck 10 years ago, so it has been motivating for me to keep running and support Geoffrey.”
Geoffrey's family are also running the marathon to mark his 70th birthday - which is the same week as the marathon! Geoffrey's wife, Lorraine and step sons; Ryan, Glen and Lucas are also participating.
Celina’s Path Scholarships are part of the University’s Opportunity Scholarships programme. These scholarships are awarded to students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and areas of the UK where there is a low uptake in higher education. Scholars are awarded £3,000 per year for three years of study.
Thank you, Edward.
Find out how you can support Edward’s fundraising efforts.
