Marathon Marvels

PSDS members Manda and Stanley both crossed the finishing line in The Mall raising a whopping £6,500 between them.

Manda recently achieved a long-held ambition by completing the TCS 2026 London Marathon. What a fantastic experience and achievement not only being a Marathon finisher, but also raising such a huge amount of money for PSDS along the way. Thanks to the generosity of her friends, family and colleagues, Manda’s JustGiving total currently stands at £3,291 and donations are still coming in. Commenting on how she felt after her epic effort, Manda said: “It was hot, hard and humbling. The crowds were amazing and seeing all the runners was incredible. I cried a lot, mostly happy tears!” Manda had a great support crew cheering her on at various stages of the route and only had to look at her wrist to be reminded of her two greatest sources of inspiration – her twins Jessica and Jack. Manda, we are so grateful for every stride you took and every donation made to spur you on. Thank you from us all at PSDS!

The day before Manda’s magnificent effort PSDS super-sibling Stanley also got to savour the experience of crossing the TCS London Marathon’s iconic finishing line. Along with fellow pupils from his school, Stanley jumped at the opportunity to take part in the TCS Mini London Marathon – running a special 2.6km route from Horse Guards Parade to The Mall. A very proud recipient of his Mini Marathon medal, Stanley’s decision to raise funds for PSDS has also been exceptionally well-received by friends and family alike. So far, a total of £2,785 has been donated via Stanley’s JustGiving page which will be boosted by a further £600 in Gift Aid. Stanley chose to support PSDS in return for the support his brother Jack and his family have received. Well done Stanley – what a wonderful young man you are. Thank you to everyone whose generosity has enabled Stanley to smash his original fundraising target 17 times over! No doubt Stanley will be taking on a full 26.2 mile marathon distance in years to come.