Dementia Research Graduate Taking on Marathon to Raise Funds to Fight Illness

A graduate is to run the London Marathon to raise money for the charities that help those with living with dementia and their families.

Hannah Jones, 25, from Kingswinford, near Stourbridge, will be pounding the pavements of the 26.2-mile route, having seen first-hand the effects of the disease.

“I’m a little bit nervous, but it will be a really nice feeling when I finish and I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “At the back of my mind, I’m running for a good cause so I want to finish.”

Hannah studied for an undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Worcester, going on to complete a Masters in Applied Psychology in 2015. As part of her Masters, she focused on the impact on relatives of caring for someone with dementia and at the behavioural and psychological side of the illness. The University of Worcester has an established Association for Dementia Studies, an active research and education centre looking at evidence-based practical ways of working with people living with dementia and their families.

Hannah, who currently works in product management in Bromsgrove, was prompted to look into this subject as her grandmother has dementia and at one time moved into the family home as her situation deteriorated.

“I wanted to do something that resonated with me and that I found interesting, and I was living it first-hand with my Nan,” she said. “I tried to focus not so much on the memory loss side of things and more on the behavioural side of things that people might not consider when they think about dementia. It would be good if there was more research into this so people would know how to manage those symptoms as well as the memory loss.”

Hannah will be running the 26.2 miles for Dementia Revolution, the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK’s joint year-long campaign, and hopes to raise £2,000. She is on track with her training, doing three to four runs a week, and says the cause acts as motivation.

“Most of us will know somebody suffering with dementia and many of us will have experienced the devastating and destructive effects first-hand,” she said. “The majority of us couldn’t imagine what it must feel like not to recognise the people closest to you, not to remember the shared experiences you once cherished and to wake up feeling confused and anxious. This is why I’ve decided to support this charity.

“Obviously to find a cure would be the best outcome, but it’s just to put money into research and also supporting people caring for someone with dementia. I don’t think people understand this or know about it until it happens to them.”

To donate to Hannah’s London Marathon challenge, log on to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hl-jones.