The chaplain at St Joan of Arc School in Rickmansworth has raised more than £4,000 for children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargant by completing the virtual London Marathon in October.
Liam Lynch started the route at St Helen’s Church in Watford before completing the 26-mile run at the school in Rickmansworth.
Working at St Joan of Arc School, Liam has seen first-hand the battle that Grace Gaskell, a 14-year-old pupil, is going through with a brain tumour that she was diagnosed with when she was 12.
Liam also participated in his first funeral since ordination as a deacon in November 2019, when eight-year-old Jessica Macqueen, who went to Holy Rood school with his own children, passed away with cancer.
Speaking to RickyNews after completing the marathon, Liam said: “I signed up to do the marathon after Jessica lost her life and I asked the family if I could do it in memory of her, and to also support Grace’s battle and raise money for CLIC Sargent, who provide support for families who are fighting childhood cancer.
“Grace is an absolute soldier, and these charities getting the funding they need is so important. Fundraising activities like these are vital to keep the charities alive.”
At the time of writing, the total stands at £4,015, and Liam was eager to thank the many people who have supported him by donating or by giving him motivation while on the run.
During lockdown Grace’s health had deteriorated and she lost the ability to speak. However, just before the run, she managed to send Liam a voice message.
He added: “Seeing everyone out there supporting me gave me the extra motivation I needed to complete it. Even people who lived on the route came out and cheered too.
“The Gaskell family have been amazing too, updating me on how everything’s going with Grace. She managed to send me a voice note saying, ‘Come on Liam’ before the run, which was amazing to hear.”
Liam’s fundraising page is still open for donations, to support him, head to justgiving.com/fundraising/run262.
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