We probably all know someone who took part in the London Marathon this year. But the person we were all rooting for this time was our very own Shona. It is not a secret that we are keen runners at Sureteam, but this is a first for the team and we, of course, wanted to shout about Shona’s success, not only because this is an amazing achievement, but because she ran for an amazing cause.

Shona’s Story

“On the 23^rd April 2017, I completed London Marathon. It was a childhood dream come true as I’ve wanted to do the London Marathon since I was eight years old.  I’ve been asthmatic all my life and never ever thought that I would be able to run that far. Asthma medication has changed lots over the years, this is what has enabled me to run.  I was running for Asthma UK because they do some amazing work helping asthmatics and funding research, so it was a clear choice as the work they do has not only helped benefit me but my boy’s as well, who also have asthma

“I’m not a natural long distance runner. In fact, I find it incredibly difficult.  In 2014 I was diagnosed with M.E.  As part of my recovery, I ran every day for over a year.  I didn’t run far, just a couple of miles, but running gave me control back over my body.

“My mind has always been strong, even when my body was weak. Running is definitely my therapy.  It’s my ‘happy’. It gives me time to think and to switch off as I did most of my training on my own.  A lot of people are surprised that I can run for 3 hours in a training run with no music or distractions.  But that’s what I love.  Just me and my shoes plodding the pavements of Gloucestershire. This time last year my longest run was just 3 miles due to the M.E…and now I’ve run a marathon. It just goes to show that you should always dream big.

The marathon itself completely lived up to every expectation that I had and then some.  The first 13 miles went so quickly.  Running around Cutty Sark, and the iconic shot of running over Tower Bridge. There were several moments where I felt like I had to pinch myself, I was actually running the London Marathon! The crowd support was amazing.  From mile 13 my hip was hurting, and by mile 19 was in agony.  The crowds most definitely got me round; there was no way that I wasn’t going to finish, I was living the dream. I finished in 4:48:06. It’s one day that I will never forget. On Sunday I made that eight year old girl with big dreams proud. Dream, believe, achieve.”

Raising Awareness of Asthma in the Workplace

Not only were we proud of Shona for running for Asthma UK for personal reasons, but Asthma can be a very serious health problem that can have a huge effect on people’s lives. And unfortunately, it can be caused in the workplace by simply breathing in the wrong things.

Certain dusts, gases, fumes and vapours can cause damage to your lungs. People who work in baking, soldering, woodworking, agricultural, engineering, and welding industries are, particularly at risk. You wouldn’t think about how something as simple as flour can have such a knock-on effect.

Thanks to people like Shona, more and more research is being conducted and as Shona has already pointed out medication is improving thanks to this research.

However, what is still lacking is the awareness of how your workplace environment can impact your health and not just be a cause of Asthma, but other respiratory issues and health problems.

If you work in a trade that is particularly at risk of causing occupational asthma, please get in touch with our team on 01666 503686 to find out more about our advice and audit services.