Judith Dando is running this year’s Virgin London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation in memory of her cousin Jill Dando.
The Crimewatch presenter was shot dead on the morning of April 26, 1999, on the doorstep of her Fulham home.
The BBC Breakfast News presenter, 37, was found 14 minutes later and declared dead on arrival at Charing Cross hospital.
Jill's cousin, Judith, 59, says: “At the end of April (26th) it’s twenty years since Jill died and to mark the anniversary, I have decided to run the London marathon to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.
“Jill had life-saving surgery as a child. She was born with a hole in her heart and at the age of 3 she had an operation to correct it.
“She would not have been able to go on to achieve all the amazing things that she did without it.
“The British Heart Foundation was always a cause close to her heart and when Jill died, I knew I wanted to raise money for them.
“By running the marathon, I also felt that there would be a lot of people out there who might like to mark the event and to give money to a good cause in memory of her.
“And now I’m keen to raise as much money as I possibly can. My target is £10,000 and it would be great if I raised that and more.”
Judith admits that whenever she goes out for a training session, Jill is never far from her mind.
She says: “I do all my training in the country so it gives me a chance to think and to see things that Jill doesn’t get a chance to see.
“I haven’t found the training as gruelling as I thought it would be and I think that part of it is because I have got such a purpose.
“It would be very easy to say, ‘I don’t want to go out for a run today.’ If I didn’t have such a sense of purpose then I would find it difficult to get out there and train.
“But I am so determined that it is driving to get me out of the door.”
To sponsor Judith and help raise money for life saving research, please visit here.
