A BARNSLEY man is preparing to take on his first marathon to honour his sister-in-law.
After a holiday in Benidorm last year, Andrea Lavelle discovered that she had pulmonary fibrosis, a rare and often fatal illness caused from scar tissue in the lungs.
Following four months spent on oxygen support, she died in November, spurring her brother-in-law Kevin Asquith, from Dodworth, to take on the London Marathon for charity.
He said: “I usually do something every year for charity. Last year I did the Sheffield Half Marathon for Barnsley Hospice but this year decided it was right to do something for my sister-in-law.
“I spoke to my family and we decided to support Asthma and Lung UK.”
The national charity is involved with the funding and research of respiratory treatments, and Kevin has already raised nearly £1,400 for them.
“I’ve not done a marathon before, so I know it’s going to be a bit of a challenge,” he added. “For the past six weeks I’ve been using a training plan, and I’m doing five runs this week to prepare. I’m not going to be breaking any records, but it’s for charity and to raise awareness for this condition.”