Self-proclaimed ‘non-athlete’ training hard to represent MND Scotland at TCS London Marathon

On April 21st, Louise Burns, 40, will take on the prestigious TCS London Marathon in support of MND Scotland.

Although a self-proclaimed ‘non-athlete’ who has never been very sporty, Louise, who works as an accountant for the University of Dundee, began running after the birth of her daughter, a hobby through which she found great mental and physical benefits.

Now, with the guidance of her husband and avid marathon runner, Simon, Louise is training hard to prepare to make time count for people affected by motor neuron disease (MND) in her goal time of four hours.

Louise has already raised over £3,500 and is on her way to reaching her goal of £5,000. You can support her today by making a donation.

Speaking on her motivation to take on the 26 mile challenge, Louise said: “During the pandemic, my husband and I noticed our neighbour was walking with a stick, which I guess at first, we found somewhat unusual being that she looked so young.

“After speaking to both her and her mum, we found out our neighbour, Jo, had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease. Up until that point, we had always thought of Jo as someone who seemed to be outdoors a lot with her little dog but to see how the effects of MND had now hampered her ability to do so many of the things she once loved and at such a young age, I felt a deeply profound sense of gratitude for my own life and knew that I wanted to do something to support Jo and other people affected by MND.”  

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This can cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, swallow or breathe unaided and the average life expectancy is just 18 months from diagnosis.

She continued: “One thing that has always stayed with me is that being pregnant during the pandemic, both Jo and I had to isolate at the same time. She was so thoughtful and caring towards me, even with everything she was dealing with herself and that just really sticks out to me as a great example of the amazing person Jo is.”

Wishing Louise good luck, Jo Knowlton said: “I wish Louise the best of luck on the day and I’m so grateful that she’s chosen to support MND Scotland.”

Despite the challenges of training for a marathon in the Scottish weather, Louise maintains perspective, acknowledging the minimal struggle compared to those facing MND.

She said: “The support I’ve received from the special people in my life has been truly amazing. Turning 40 in November, I decided to skip the presents and, instead, asked for donations to MND Scotland. Losing my dad when I was just 9 due to a brain tumor had a profound impact on my life, yet I find myself surrounded by gratitude for the love, home, and fulfilling job I have today. That fact, combined with being very aware of what Jo is dealing with makes me feel so lucky to have my amazing family and friends, who have been so supportive, and I feel very thankful to have the life I do.

“Having turned 40 this year, I want to do something for people struggling in ways that I can only imagine, like our funny and caring friend Jo. I feel honored to be given the opportunity to run on behalf of MND Scotland and support people living with this cruel disease.”

Louise has been gearing up for the TCS London Marathon by following a training plan, taking cues from her husband who’s tackled two marathons himself. She officially kicked off her training after the new year, preferring the company of fellow runners to beat the boredom. Mixing things up, her training has become a family affair, with Simon often joining her for a run as well as daughter Bea (6) and Reuben (3) getting involved in any way they can.

Describing the support of her children, Louise said: ‘My son Reuben and Bea are so on board with my training and have also been doing Junior Parkrun’s“to run marathons like mummy”. Bea has even done a full adults 5km parkrun and is giving me tips as to what I need to do “Don’t go too fast too soon mummy; it’s a marathon not a sprint”.’

‘Bea has been telling her teacher and class about why her mummy has been doing this and has told me she wants to help raise money so she can “help Jo who has MND and her doggy Chino” (she knows that Chino isn’t unwell but associates them always being together). I could not be more proud of both my kids helping me with this and the encouragement they have given me. We have recently been building a playlist to listen to on the day and Reuben is adamant that Jingle Bells should be on it!’

Despite the rewarding moments, Louise acknowledges the marathon training grind—juggling hours away from the family for those two to three-hour runs can be a real test of time and effort.

She said: “It can be hard to train in Scotland with the cold and the snow, especially for an event in London where the weather will be completely different but compared to what people living with MND face every day, it’s not difficult at all and I feel extremely lucky to be healthy enough to be able to run a marathon.

“The support I’ve received from the special people in my life has been truly amazing. I find myself surrounded by gratitude for the love, home, and fulfilling job I have today and although there have been moments of self-doubt and feeling like I can’t handle it, my family’s belief in me has been my rock. As I gear up for the big day, I’m beyond thankful for the incredible friends and family who not only sponsored me but are also making the trip to support me in person. Their presence, along with my children, will make the occasion even more meaningful.”

Thanking Louise for her support, Head of Fundraising, Jonathan Mitchell said: ‘I am thrilled to learn about Louise’s dedication in taking on the TCS London Marathon on behalf of MND Scotland.

‘We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have Louise represent us, especially given that charity places are only available to us once every five years. Louise’s remarkable fundraising efforts have already generated a fantastic amount, and I am confident that our generous supporters can propel her across the £5k mark.

‘With individuals like Louise leading the charge, we can continue to fund pioneering research, deliver vital services and continue to make time count for people affected by MND. On behalf of everyone at MND Scotland, Thank you, Louise!’

You can support Louise on her marathon journey by making a donation here. For more ways to support people affected by MND, please visit us here.