The Sussex Newspaper - Great news for a great county!

Susie Hewer, 54, ‘the Extreme Knitting Redhead’ from Robertsbridge, completed her fourth marathon of the year in Liverpool, on 9 October, to boost funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Susie’s exhausting 2011 schedule raised over £1,300 for the UK’s leading dementia research charity. She was spurred on by thoughts of her mum Peggy who died after a long struggle with vascular dementia.

With 24 marathons now to her credit, over a period of six years, Susie’s fundraising total has exceeded £20,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK. She has also gained two Guinness World Records - in 2008 she knitted the longest scarf while running a marathon and in 2010 gained the World Record for the longest crochet chain. This year’s challenge started with the Brighton Marathon, quickly followed by London and Salzburg and culminated with the RunLiverpool Marathon.

A Champion of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Susie talked about her motivation for running and raising money for the charity:
“Since my dear mum died with vascular dementia in 2005, I’ve been on a mission to raise desperately needed money for vital research. Running gives me the perfect opportunity to do that. I took part in my first marathon two weeks after mum died.

“I started running and knitting at the London Marathon a couple of years later. With my 50th birthday approaching, I wanted to do something different and talked it over with a friend. She laughed and said ‘why don’t you act your age and stay at home with your knitting’. Well that did it! Since then my knitting needles have been with me each time I’ve pounded the London streets to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“It was so distressing seeing my gentle mum change into a furious and aggressive person as vascular dementia gradually overwhelmed her. She became confused, incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. She didn’t sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time and I’d be up three or four times a night changing the sheets. Life became almost unbearable and it broke my heart when she went into care for the last few months of her life.

“I’m hugely grateful for the tremendous support I’ve received from family, friends and members of the public. All the money I raise is helping Alzheimer’s Research UK get closer to defeating dementia. My marathon plans for 2012 are already shaping up - as it’s the year London hosts the Olympics, my challenge will be an equally Olympian effort! I can’t rest until new treatments are found."

Miranda Mays, Community Fundraising Manager for Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“Susie is an amazing lady and we’re so lucky to have her support. We can’t thank her enough for her continued enthusiasm and energy. During the past six years Susie has raised over £20,000, paying for months of pioneering research and vital equipment for our scientists. Her tremendous contribution is bringing us closer to finding ways to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure dementia.
“Over 10,000 people in East Sussex are living with dementia today, one of the highest county figures in the UK. Research is the only answer but funding lags far behind other serious diseases. We rely entirely on our wonderful supporters like Susie to fund our pioneering research.”  
To add to Susie’s efforts to raise funds for crucial dementia research, donate online at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/extremeknittingredhead or call the fundraising team at Alzheimer’s Research UK on 01223 843899. The full story of Susie’s experience of caring for her mum can also be found on her fundraising page.