Katie's Midnight Walk II

Last night member's of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run gathered in Somercotes to take part in Katie's Midnight Walk.
If you've seen previous posts you'll know this is a walk organised by my husband's aunt, uncle and cousin in memory of their daughter (sister), Katie Taylor. Katie contracted malignant melanoma and died days before the first walk, aged 15, on 17 June 2008.
The walk is intended to highlight the dangers of skin cancer and raise money for research into treatment and ultimately a cure.
By walking at midnight it matches the theme of Melanoma Awareness Week - walking from darkness into light.
There was a small number of people who gathered and, led by Katie's father Wayne, completed the five mile circuit around the area where Katie lived in just under two hours.
The Fat Girl's don't just turn out for anything and when we do we always think of safety and style (not necessarily in that order) so last night we turned out in neon. Sarah, Lauren and Sarah neoned up with added glo-sticks and got their walk on.
As the walkers returned to cups of tea and sausage cobs the total raised (so far) was revealed - more than £4,000 - which will go directly to Dr Patel at Nottingham Hospital. He was the doctor who treated Katie and by funding his research there is a better chance of a cure being found and this disease which affects one in 50 and kills one in four will be eradicated.
If you haven't given and would like to do so you can still make a donation online here: http://www.justgiving.com/katiesmidnightwalk/
The Fat Girl's would like to thank everyone who supported them - thank you!
S C-P x

Katharine Alison Taylor 1992-2008

This post is in memory of Katherine Alison Taylor, or Katie as I knew her, my husband's cousin who died a year ago today, aged 15, from malignant melanoma.

To be honest, I don't really know how to write this post. And if I don't know how to write it with the distance of 365 days and of only knowing Katie briefly and mostly through family gatherings I can't imagine how those closer to her feel today.

I wish more than anything I didn't have to write this post. That Katie was about to complete her GCSEs and dreaming of what the future might hold for her. That her adventure was just getting underway. That today was just another day in the year. But it's not, so I do have to write.

Let me start with telling you what I know: Katie was a beautiful, brave young woman, who inspired me with her attitude to life well before and of the bad stuff hit, and even more so after it did.

Perhaps you feel you've heard all about the brave fight and the tragic ending before, about people who have contracted terrible diseases and fought long and hard against them? Maybe, but I truly believe with Katie it was never a truer word.

She was not a sunbather or reckless tanner. She was outdoorsy but never careless about looking after her skin. She lived in a quiet part of Derbyshire not in the glare of the desert sun. But she still contracted skin cancer.

She was treated quickly and expertly but despite valiently fighting with a smile on her face and compassion for those around her she didn't survive.

I feel honoured to have know Katie through my husband. Even though I didn't know her well I feel blessed that she touched my life and proud that she obvisouly touched the lives of so many others. She was wonderful to be around. She was happy, she was kind, she was positive, cheeky and full of personality and dreams.

There is no way to justify this loss. Katie being gone is indeed senseless. But if there is one good thing to come out of Katie's death it has to be raising awareness of this disease (which now strikes one in 50 people and one in four will die as a result) and the funds they (you) donate help to pay for prevention and research into a cure.

So, I am going to tell you should now do. I want you do to at least the first if not both of the following:

• Give your money to Katie's fund. This goes toward vital research into malignant melanoma being undertaken at Nottingham, where Katie was treated. Every penny counts in stopping more lights like Katie going out and more families and friends having a big hole in their hearts and lives where a loved one used to be: you can give your donation online on the Just Giving website.
• If you are around the East Midlands area and at a loss for how to entertain yourself at midnight this Saturday (20 June 200) come and join the second Katie's Midnight Walk. The first took place days after Katie died and we want to do her proud this year. It takes place in Somercotes near Alfreton and is five miles long. All are welcome to join in and there will be early morning refreshments for walkers at the pub afterwards. Message me on Twitter or comment here if you want more info.
  

And if you're still wondering why this is so important to me, and the other Fat Girls, read the honest account of this brutal disease written by Katie's family on the Katie's Midnight Walk

Thanks for taking the time to read this, for sharing in Katie's memory, and on the assumption you will donate thank you for that too. S C-P x

Katherine Alison Taylor - 1992-2008 - Per aspera ad astra

Confession of a Fat Girl

I meant to go out jogging ...... i had a whole evening set aside for Fat Girl training, i was going to the Bowl of Hellfire!! I had a bagged packed up with jogging clobber, a fully charged MP3 and TWO bottles of water! Sounds good so far doesn't it? Well, dont get too excited. I'm not sure if you remember what the weather was like on monday but it was blazingly hot..... BLAZINGLY HOT! And with memories of the skin blisters i got after burning at RFL2008 i hung my head in disappointment and wimped out of the run. In my defense i didnt have sun cream and what with Katie's Midnight Walk II only a few weeks away i thought it foolish to risk it.

The guilt at maybe using malignant melanoma as an excuse to avoid going jogging has led me to hit the gym three times this week already. OK so i'm not exactly doing much whilst i'm there but it all counts. I've even developed the confidence to really jog on the treadmill.... even when other people are present! I know!!! Progress or what!

So i've jogged about 1 mile in 10 minutes each day as well as using the bikes and rowing machine to combat those calories (kitkat craving is back, bad times). I really need to increase my time and pace on the treadmill but it's so hard, my stamina is poor and my knees burn almost as much as my dirty smokers lungs!

What's a Fat Girl to do?? Perhaps organise another training session...?? Well low and behold it's only my ruddy birthday soon and i think it only right to celebrate it in true TRFGR style....... DANCING! So grab your gladrags Fat Girls and our beautiful supporters, it's your duty to come train with me....... :D

Oh and there's a theme, and it's electric blue. Be it a bangle, belt or bow i want you all wearing it and being Eclectic in Electric!!!!

Support Katie's Midnight Walk!

All our Fat Girl followers have been very generous in supporting us as we undertake Race for Life but we also want to remind you we are supporting Katie's Midnight Walk.
The walk takes place on Saturday 20 June in Somercotes, Derbyshire and is memory of Katie Taylor and raises funds for research into Malignant Melanoma.
Katie was my husband's cousin and died last June from this form of skin cancer. She was 15 years old.
Research now shows that one in 50 people will contract a melonoma during their lifetime and so this research and quest for a cure is invaluable. It may one day help you or someone you love.
If you'd like to join us on the walk we'd love to see you there! It starts at midnight (you might have guessed from the name ;-D ) from St Thomas Centre in Somercotes. If you're unsure then get in touch and meet up with the Fat Girls first (our team theme is neon so we're easy to spot wombling about in the dark).
Or, even if you can't join the walk, please consider making a donation. You can do this online through the Katie's Midnight Walk Just Giving page.
You can read Katie's story, and the story of her family, on the website they set up.
Cheers muchly,
S-CP x

Katie's Midnight Walk - 20 June 2009

A little reminder about the other event the team is taking part in - Katie's Midnight Walk II.

Katie Taylor died in June 2008 from malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer. She was just 15 years old.

She and her family and friends were already campaigning to raise awareness and fund research into the disease when she died and the first midnight walk took place just days after her death. More than 200 people took part and raised a phenomenal amount - more than £8,000. This is an important cause to the whole team but particularly to me (S-CP) as Katie was my husband's cousin.

This year the walk will be held again on Saturday 20 June - the first week of Melanoma Awareness Week and a few days after the first anniversary of Katie's death. Many of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run will be taking part and we'd encourage you all to come and join us if you can or consider making a donation.

The five-mile walk is in Somercoates in Derbyshire and begins at midnight - to follow the theme of melanoma awareness of going from dark into light.

Please take a moment to read Katie's story and find out more about the walk and how you can support it on Katie's website.

If you'd like to come and join us on the night walkers meet at St Thomas Hall, Somercoates at 11pm with the walk getting underway at 12 midnight. Team Run, Fat Girl, Run will be rocking a neon theme so we can be safe while walking about in the dark so feel free to neon-up and join our gang. We hope to see you there!

You can also join the Facebook group if you want to show support and get hold of a paper sponsorship form!

S-CPx

It's the final line-up

Right, we've now doubled the size of the team for the Race for Life so the recruitment drive will now be ending!
It is with great pleasure I introduce the latest member - and our first international member - Aakanksha Chhikara. Or Ace to you and me!
So one final time - let's hear the role call for Team RFGR for Race for Life 2009 and Katie's Midnight Walk II:

• Sarah Lay
• Sarah Barker
• Toni-Anne Sanderson
• Lauren Noakes
• Kelly Race
• Vena Wheeldon
• Sarah Hutchinson
• Aakanksha Chhikara

Last year the four of us raised more than £800 for Race for Life so with twice as many of us let's try to double the amount we gather while also managing to get round the Bowl of Hellfire faster than anyone on crutches.
(Please feel free to sing the post title to the tune of Europe's Final Countdown for the rest of the day).
Thanks to Carl Bembridge for clever Photoshop skillz!

Katie's Midnight Walk 2009

With extra members falling over themselves to be in the team (falling over? that bodes well) we're in the process of signing up for Race for Life 2009.

As well as a stringent and very cutting edge training programme (fnar) we'll be fitting in another event as a team as well.

Katie's Midnight Walk will take place on 20 June 2009 and is a five mile walk in Alfreton, Derbyshire. The aim is to raise awareness of malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer) hence the walk from dark into light.

As well as raising awareness of this disease and making a team donation to Professor Poulem Patel's research project into malignant melanoma we will also be remembering Katie.

Katie Taylor was my husband's cousin and died last June from malignant melanoma, aged 15. The walk is open to all and we'd encourage Team RFGR followers to join in if you are able. While the Race for Life is a girl-thing we'll be encouraging blokes, thin girls and even our four-legged friends to join KMW too!

Please take a few moments to read Katie's story and we hope to see you at midnight on 20 June 2009.

S-ChampPersp

(If you can't take part please consider making a donation to help fund research into the disease)