New Leeds mum to run marathon seven months after giving birth - after mum's dementia diagnosis
A new mum is training to run the Leeds Marathon just seven months after giving birth and while coping with the heartbreak of her mum’s early onset dementia.
As a first-time mum, Sarah Gledhill, 27, is balancing sleepless nights, recovery, and marathon training which she says has been one of the biggest challenges she has faced.
"I started training just three months after giving birth, and on race day I will be seven months postpartum," said Sarah, of Colton.
"It hasn’t been easy, but this run means so much more than just completing a marathon.
"During my pregnancy, my mum was diagnosed with early onset dementia at just 57.
"As I was preparing to bring new life into the world, I was also slowly losing my own mum. With each passing month, I felt like I was losing a little more of her."
What Sarah says has been especially heart-breaking is that when she gave birth to her mother's first grandson, she was already too unwell to truly understand or recognise what was happening.
"Moments I had always imagined sharing with her have been lost, and that has been incredibly difficult to come to terms with," said Sarah.
"Running the marathon has given me something to focus on through the emotional weight of becoming a new mum while navigating my mum’s illness. Every mile I run is for her."
Sarah is raising money for Alzheimer’s Society in the hope of supporting other families going through the same pain, and to help fund vital research and support.
"With the Leeds Marathon just around the corner, I’m hoping to raise as much awareness and funding as possible and I’ll be thinking of my mum every step of the way."