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Fitness blog spurs on Holly to run for vaccine

02.08.11

A TELEVISION actress and meningitis survivor is blogging about her fitness regime as she gears up to conquer the Great North Run in aid of life-saving vaccine research.

Holly Matthews, 28, not only had a brush with the potentially deadly brain bug aged eight, but her baby daughter Brooke also overcame the disease earlier this year.

The performer and model, who has appeared on hit BBC drama Waterloo Road, is to record her thoughts in a regular column on website FamouslyFit.com as she embarks on her training.

In the first installment on Saturday, she said: "I am running with a real goal this year – to raise money for Meningitis UK – a fantastic charity striving to find a vaccine to stop all types of meningitis and raise awareness of the terrible disease.

"My own baby daughter contracted this terrible disease about a few months ago and after a horrendous time in hospital, she survived. This was due to the fast acting NHS helpline and the amazing staff at Walsgrave Hospital. Very bizarrely, I also had this disease when I was eight and again, I am here to tell the tale.

"As you can imagine with all this history with meningitis I am very keen to give back to charities that help the families dealing with the aftermath of the disease, finding a vaccine and making other people aware of the symptoms. They do such a fantastic job and I want to raise as much money as I can to help them."

Holly's put forward her handy hints on how to stay motivated through the tough weeks leading up to the race which includes her focusing on how Meningitis UK will use the money she raises. You can read the first installment of Holly's Famously Fit series here (external link).

Complete with shiny new running shoes, top tunes on her stereo and stepping up training steadily, Holly will be joined on the run by her parents and friend Jay to encourage her.

Meningitis UK's Chief Executive Steve Dayman said: "Holly's running efforts are excellent and we will enjoy reading about how her training is going. What happened to Holly and her daughter Brooke shows how quickly meningitis can strike and with little warning, which highlights the importance of finding a vaccine for this dreadful disease.

"We're very thankful to Holly, her parents and Jay for taking part in the Great North Run in September and we hope they enjoy what should be a great day.

"Every penny raised will go towards our single focus – to find a vaccine to eradicate meningitis. Continued support from the public is so important in enabling us to continue our vital work.

"Our ultimate goal is to spare people the heartache thousands of families have suffered by losing a loved one to meningitis."

To sponsor Holly, please visit www.justgiving.com/Holly-matthews1(external link) and follow her progress in the features section of famouslyfit.com.

Check out Holly and Brooke's story on the Meningitis UK personal stories page - http://www.meningitisuk.org/meningitis/disease/personal-stories/hollyandbrooke-matthews.htm

For more information on meningitis, or to support Meningitis UK's Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, please call 0117 373 73 73 or visit www.meningitisuk.org.