A LOVING brother whose sister lost her brave battle against Cystic Fibrosis earlier this year is limbering up for a gruelling challenge in her memory.
Steve McKelvie, financial adviser of McCarthy Taylor Ltd in Worcester, will be one of thousands of people to take part in the Virgin Money London Marathon in April.
The Worcester resident said he had hoped to race while his sister, Fran Leavey, who passed away aged 40 in May, was still alive. But he is now determined to complete the 26-mile run in her honour as he looks to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Trust, which supports people who are affected by the condition.
“Fran was fantastic and is sorely missed,” he said. “When she was born with CF she was given a life expectancy of just two years old.
“Her determination and resilience saw Fran live a week short of 41 years of age.
Not only did she live way beyond expectation, but she lived a full life with extraordinary success.”
He and Fran were both born in South Africa where she worked as a helicopter mechanic in Cape Town, played the flute with the Symphony & Philharmonic Orchestras and even ran a 5K race herself.
She spent the last three years of her life living in Canada and was on a trip back to her home country when she died.
Steve added: “My sister Fran was truly an inspiration and my goal was to run in her honour while she was alive, but sadly she passed away in May, so this will be my race honouring ‘The Fran-tastic Leavey’, raising funds for the CF Trust to help individuals who have to face what Fran went through.”
To donate visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StevenMcKelvie
