Lisa’s first running challenge post-stroke

Lisa Giddings from Suffolk suffered a minor stroke post covid. Alongside her daughter, Evie she hopes to challenge herself and complete the 2024 Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon.

It’s been a long road of recovery for Lisa, and over the last two years and five months she has rebuilt her life, with a tremendous amount of support from her children Jack and Evie, friends and family and the team at Livability Icanho in Stowmarket.

We caught up with Lisa to find out more about her journey to this year’s start line.

“I have always run, ever since I can remember I have run, during school years competitively but mostly for many years after for my own sense of general physical health, mental wellbeing and personal challenge. Through single life travelling with show and event horses, through to a sales life in media, longer term relationships then marriage and a family, I have always two or three times a week run. Occasionally during all those years, I participated in half marathons – both Colchester and Ipswich (the later on several occasions).

“Then covid/lockdown came along, which limited my physical exercise time, my work involved working with vets hence I was working full time, I was homeschooling, my relationship came to an end and myself, Evie and Jack moved out of what had been our family home. Then in March 2022 I had a stroke, my son who at the time was 10 found me 4am one morning having had a transient ischaemic attack, also called a "mini stroke", which is a serious condition where the blood supply to your brain is temporarily disrupted. I was unable to open my eyes or even speak, my right arm was in spasms and I couldn’t feel much in my right-side lower limbs – my life as I knew it in that moment had changed.

“Thankfully, Ipswich paramedics, the Ipswich hospital A&E team, then the Stroke dept were all amazing in helping me through those first few hours and days, they were all instrumental in me being home and under the care of the community team within 6 days – the community team supported me in looking after Evie (then 15) and Jack and Sid the sprocker whilst supporting my journey back to being independent and able to walk without the aid of a stick. I had to learn to balance again, change my diet to support my recovery, and most importantly focus on what I could do….I could do my physio exercises, I could look after my kids, I could walk Sid the sprocker and very slowly but surely over the last 2 years 5 months I have rebuilt my life – only with a tremendous amount of support from my kids, friends and family and a whole team of professionals including the most amazing team at Livability Icanho in Stowmarket.

“Several people think I am crazy as a previous stroke patient to do some of the things as a family we choose to do – we go camping at festivals, we drive 9 hours to the South of France, we have a field (Billy Bottom) and a cottage in Somerset which we use as a getaway when we need it and drive 5 hours at night between Suffolk and Somerset to get there – all of our life is unorthodox and mine and Evie’s decision to run the Ipswich Half Marathan is no different – our training has not involved running the miles on the road, its been hiking in the high altitudes of Tignes South of France, it’s been walking 149,893 steps during 4 days at Boardmasters Festival earlier this month, it’s been numerous long dog walks during the lovely summer sunshine and swimming. For me to cross the finish line this year with Evie, (Jack is only not participating as he is too young), will be yet another crazy adventure, I’m not looking at times, I aim to walk and run my way around the distance with my daughter near me (more likely in front of me), proving that if you focus on what you can do every one small step at a time is progress.”

Good luck Lisa and Evie! We can't wait to see you both cross the finish line on Sunday!

Entries are still open for the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon taking place on Sunday 22^nd September. For more information and to sign up click here