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Heart-op former journalist to run Marathon

A former regional press journalist who underwent life-saving heart surgery three years ago is running the London Marathon later this month.

Simon Peevers, who left the Bristol-based Evening Post 13 months ago as part of editorial restructuring at the title, had to have a valve replaced in his heart, defective since childbirth.

After watching the famous marathon last April, he opted to undertake the mission of training for the 2010 event and shedding eight stone in the process.

The 35-year-old has now passed the halfway marks in both his weight loss mission and bid to raise £3,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

“The doctors have always known about my valve, but what they also discovered was that the wall of the valve had started to expand, like a balloon, and was going to burst at some point,” he told HTFP.

“Because it was not life-threatening doctors decided to wait until I was a grown adult to do the procedure but in 2007 they noticed this extra issue and without surgery I would have died.”

He added: “I have done Bristol half marathon a few times. It would be nice if I could lose the four stone by the end of the year, or within the next 12 months.

“But the key was to get to a healthy, fit weight which I am now. It gave me something to keep me going and have a focus.”

Simon is keeping a blog of his exploits and has recorded a video diary about his training and the reasons behind his decision to tackle the 26.2-mile race.

He was a regional press journalist for ten years – starting with the Western Gazette, in Yeovil, before spending eight years with the Evening Post, most latterly as assistant news editor.

He set up his own freelancer PR consultancy Acrobat PR and says that he “has been pretty busy over the past year”.

Simon can be sponsored at JustGiving.co.uk/simonpeevers.

  • We’ve already featured some regional press journalists running this year’s London Marathon on 25 April but we’re still keen to hear from any more taking the plunge. Please get in touch by emailing [email protected].
  • Comments

    Steve (08/04/2010 12:17:05)
    Bes of luck Mr P!