Puja is a marathon marvel

A Hellesdon woman has told how her friend’s child inspired her to complete her first London Marathon and raise nearly £4,500 for charity.

INSPIRATION: Puja Dahal at the London Marathon

In 2021, Puja’s Dahal’s friend’s daughter, Lucy, was diagnosed with bone cancer at just seven years old.

“Seeing such a happy, energetic child go through cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic was heartbreaking,” she said.

When Puja was offered a place in the London Marathon to support the Bone Cancer Research Trust and Lucy’s Big Dream Charity, she had no hesitation in taking on the challenge.

Thanks to the generosity of friends, family, colleagues, patients, and the local community, she raised an amazing £4,497.

Training for a marathon while workings as a nursing assistant at the NNUH Oncology and Haematology department, and raising two young daughters, aged 10 and 8, was not easy. There were early mornings, late evenings, and long runs in every type of weather.

“At times, I felt exhausted, but whenever things became difficult, I remembered why I had started and who I was running for,” she said.

During the big race, she dedicated some of the toughest miles to the memory of special family members and friends.

“I felt as though they were cheering me on every step of the way. One of the biggest boosts came at mile 23 when two very special friends, Jo and Caz, appeared unexpectedly. At that stage of a marathon, when doubts begin to creep in and every step hurts, seeing them meant so much.”

For the first 30 kilometres, Puja was running well and on target for her goal of 4 hrs 30 mins. But severe leg cramps set in and despite visiting first aid three times, by mile 24 she was in significant pain.

Giving up was never an option though and she eventually crossed the finish line in 5 hours and 22 seconds. “When things became difficult, I thought about Lucy. If she could endure chemotherapy, major challenges, and come out the other side to become an accomplished wheelchair tennis player, currently ranked ITF Under-18 Girls World No. 6, then I could keep going. I thought about my dear friend Mel, who was a runner and is sadly no longer with us. I thought about my patients and every family affected by cancer.”

Somehow, Puja ended up on the big screen at the start, dancing and enjoying the atmosphere, and even managed to get a selfie with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at the halfway point.

With chef Gordon Ramsay

Her running journey began in 2023 with a 5K Race for Life’. She stepped up to a 10k and things snowballed, as she took on more 10ks, four half-marathons and two marathons. She ran the London Landmarks Half Marathon for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Run Norwich for Cancer Research UK.

Visit Puja Dahal’s page at www.justgiving.com