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A blizzard is forecast for 10 am on the Great Lines, Saturday April 16. That’s a blizzard of runners wearing white tee shirts and singlets who will be starting a special extra lap of the otherwise usual Saturday morning parkrun. Their tops will be emblazoned with a ‘Run for Dee’ logo bearing a distinctive red lipstick graphic on the front and #TeamMedway on the back to remind us of Dee Yamoah’s radiant smile and her support for runners and running clubs across Medway.
This ‘Lipstick Lap’ is being organised by Tracy Rodwell and the Great Lines Parkrun volunteer group with support from the wider Medway running community to aid Dee’s recuperation from serious illness. Each runner will have paid £20 per top, the profits from which are being donated to the special ‘Go Fund Me’ project recently set up by Dee’s daughter Rhianna to raise funds to help Dee’s long road to recovery.
Throughout 2021, Dee had been suffering chronic head pains and, perhaps exacerbated by the pandemic, was unable to secure the treatment she needed until, eventually, a scan in September revealed the severity of her situation. She was rushed to a London hospital where she underwent emergency surgery and several subsequent operations. She is still in hospital now.
Although the deadline for ordering the tops in time for the Lipstick Lap has passed, new orders are still rolling in. At the time of writing, well over 150 running tops had been sold. So we can expect a big turnout on April 16.
For all those who have known Dee, such a groundswell of support for her will come as no surprise. Over the years she has been pivotal in actively nurturing a wide interest in the sport of running with clubs and individuals throughout Medway and beyond.
Within Medway Fit, as an enthusiastic champion for the personal fitness and wellbeing benefits that running provides, Dee has played a major role not only as a founder but also as a regular run leader. She embodies the club’s sense of togetherness, inclusivity and true community spirit where runs and training sessions are generally free and open to all abilities.
Steadily growing membership and regular attendance at club runs is testimony that this philosophy works. Whether you can run a 5K in 15 minutes, or 50 minutes and more, everybody’s welcome; you’re part of a mutually caring community. Regrettably, at the moment a key member of that community is absent.
So Dee, get well and come back as soon as you can. We miss you!
Thanks for reading, contributed by Footblogger - Bob Greenwood
This ‘Lipstick Lap’ is being organised by Tracy Rodwell and the Great Lines Parkrun volunteer group with support from the wider Medway running community to aid Dee’s recuperation from serious illness. Each runner will have paid £20 per top, the profits from which are being donated to the special ‘Go Fund Me’ project recently set up by Dee’s daughter Rhianna to raise funds to help Dee’s long road to recovery.
Throughout 2021, Dee had been suffering chronic head pains and, perhaps exacerbated by the pandemic, was unable to secure the treatment she needed until, eventually, a scan in September revealed the severity of her situation. She was rushed to a London hospital where she underwent emergency surgery and several subsequent operations. She is still in hospital now.
Although the deadline for ordering the tops in time for the Lipstick Lap has passed, new orders are still rolling in. At the time of writing, well over 150 running tops had been sold. So we can expect a big turnout on April 16.
For all those who have known Dee, such a groundswell of support for her will come as no surprise. Over the years she has been pivotal in actively nurturing a wide interest in the sport of running with clubs and individuals throughout Medway and beyond.
Within Medway Fit, as an enthusiastic champion for the personal fitness and wellbeing benefits that running provides, Dee has played a major role not only as a founder but also as a regular run leader. She embodies the club’s sense of togetherness, inclusivity and true community spirit where runs and training sessions are generally free and open to all abilities.
Steadily growing membership and regular attendance at club runs is testimony that this philosophy works. Whether you can run a 5K in 15 minutes, or 50 minutes and more, everybody’s welcome; you’re part of a mutually caring community. Regrettably, at the moment a key member of that community is absent.
So Dee, get well and come back as soon as you can. We miss you!
Thanks for reading, contributed by Footblogger - Bob Greenwood
