William Penn gym members cycle to fight cervical cancer (From Watford Observer)
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William Penn gym members cycle to fight cervical cancer
2:10pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News
Kerstin will run the Virgin London Marathon in support of her sister Tara who is fighting cervical cancer.
Customers at William Penn Leisure Centre have helped fellow gym member Kerstin Weiner towards her goal of running the London marathon to raise funds for a cancer charity which is supporting her sister through her fight with the disease.
Members at the centre in Shepherds Lane, Mill End, raised money towards Kerstin’s £2,000 target by taking part in a charity stationary cycling event called Pedal X 180.
The event, organised by instructors Kelly McMillan and Naz Deller, raised more than £400 after customers paid £5 each to take part and staff collected donations during the event.
Kerstin, 41, of Mill End, will run the 26-mile Virgin London Marathon on April 22 to raise money for Penny Brohn Cancer Care which has been helping her sister Tarah, 38, through her fight with cervical cancer. Tarah, who lives in Stevenage was diagnosed in 2010. She received treatment but then a year later was told the cancer had returned.
She has just finished treatment again and her family are hoping that she will now stay in remission.
The charity based in Bristol offers specialist support including complementary therapies, advice and counselling for people living with cancer and support is free of charge.
Kerstin said: "I have made a lot of friends at William Penn Leisure Centre and everyone has been really supportive during my family’s very difficult time.
"I’d like to thank everyone who helped raised such a fantastic amount of money which will help the charity look after more people fighting cancer."
Centre manager Dave Tenny said: "We are so pleased to be helping Kerstin in her fundraising challenge and really inspired by the number of customers who came to the event to help raise the money for Kerstin’s marathon entrance fee.
"Everyone knows that people come to the Centre to get fit but leisure centres are also the focus of the community and here we have a great example of customers coming together to help another in a bid to raise money to help a great cause."
