Sisters sprinting to support Arthritis Research UK

 Two young women are preparing for challenging runs to raise money for Arthritis Research UK after having watched their sister live with the condition since early childhood.

Georgie Edwards, 28, will be running the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon in York, and her sister Lydia, 22, will be pounding the streets of Newcastle, Gateshead and South Shields for the Great North Run.

Throughout their respective challenges, they will have in their mind their sister Harriet, 24, who was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of five and has experienced some very tough times at the hands of the painful and at times debilitating disease.

Despite living with severe arthritis all through her childhood, teens and early twenties, Harriet successfully completed medical school and is now a doctor at a busy London hospital.

Harriet said: ‘I absolutely love being a doctor. I know how I want to be treated as a patient and so I treat people as I have always liked to be treated.

‘I think I grew up wanting to be like the people who were looking after me. Since I was 13 I have never wanted to be anything other than a doctor.’

Raising money together

Harriet and her sisters have raised more than £3,000 for Arthritis Research UK over the years. Harriet has made perfume and bubble bath from garden flowers and sold them outside their house in Driffield, East Yorkshire where they grew up. Lydia and Georgie have taken part in sponsored sports events.

On September 7, Lydia will take part in the iconic Great North Run in the North East for the first time.

On October 12, Georgie will run in her first full marathon in York. She has completed the Great North Run twice in the past and her training for this year’s Yorkshire Marathon is on track. She has completed a 17-mile run with more than a month and a half to go until the big day.

She said: ‘Our beautiful sister Harriet has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for most of her life. While this condition is incredibly painful, can be debilitating and life-changing, Harriet never complains and is amazing in how she copes on a day-to-day basis. 

‘Last year she qualified as a doctor, which is truly amazing, especially considering how tough the training is and the long shifts she puts in, always on her feet! 

‘However, her bad days can be pretty bad – affecting her work and lifestyle – which is horrible to see. As a family we would love to see a cure one day for this disease, and we saw this as a great opportunity to raise awareness and test our fitness at the same time!”

You can donate to Georgie and Lydia at www.justgiving.com/Georgina-Lydia-Edwards

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