A super-fit husband and wife team are limbering up for their toughest charity fundraiser to date – a 100-mile ultra marathon around Ayrshire.
Jill Wyllie, 48, and William Wyllie, 56, a chartered accountant with RA Clement & Co in Kilmarnock, are hoping to raise as much money as possible for Diabetes UK and will take on their mammoth challenge on Thursday, March 7.
The pair will run between Mauchline and Ayr for a 24-hour period and they’ll have the entire family there to support them all the way.
The couple are no strangers to charity fundraisers.
Jill and William, from Mauchline, previously completed five marathons in five days, then 10 marathons in 10 days, raising more than £20k for various charities over the past few years.
Jill, a speech and language therapist, explained the background and motivation to their latest challenge, saying: “It’s almost six years since we completed 10 marathons in 10 days and with our son Max now in his final stage of school, we wanted to support him and his year group to raise funds for Diabetes UK.
The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.
Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.
The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.
The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.
“And a big reason to do this is because one of Max’s best friends was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a few years ago and was quite unwell.
“Since we have started this journey we have met a lot of people who have said that diabetes is a condition which is close to their heart, whether it’s a family member or a loved one.
“We also know someone whose gran is severely affected and been in and out of hospital all the time.
“I think it’s one of these quiet, forgotten illnesses. People always think of it as type 2 and that’s very much lifestyle controlled, whereas type one is quite serious.”
The couple have prepared for their fundraiser for around six months and can’t wait to take it on.
Jill said: “This time it’s an Ultra Marathon, where we aim to cover 100 miles in 24 hours. We hope to attempt this on Thursday March 7 – weather dependent!
“We will not break any records but hope to complete it.
“We could have chosen a shorter distance but I thought why not? We’re never going to do this again. Everyone thinks we’re mad!
“We’ll be supported by our family, friends and a support car throughout the event, so that someone is with us at all time for food, fluid and all the rest.”
Jill and William’s efforts have also been boosted by generous sponsorship from Dale Solicitors, Galston.
“We have always been runners,” revealed Jill. ”It’s been six months of training and we are now at the stage of tapering off and we’re so glad to get to this point.
“Anything we raise will be a bonus and go into the Diabetes UK pot.”
The couple has set up a Just Giving page and if you can help boost the coffers go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/wellington-school-1706607142616
Read next:
Don’t miss the latest Ayrshire headlines –sign up to our free daily newsletter
