Postwoman Kirtsy Richardson completed marathon for British Heart Foundation fundraising She is seen with her partner Craig (Image: Submitted)
A postie has completed a marathon to raise funds for heart disease research.
Dereham's Kirsty Richardson took on the 26.2-mile Manchester Marathon on April 14, and raised more than £3,200 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
She was joined by other BHF runners with a common goal of supporting the foundation.
Kirsty's decision to support the BHF was driven by personal experience.
Her partner, Craig Rudling, lives with a diagnosed congenital heart defect and had corrective surgery aged four years old.
she said: “I would never have known that he had a heart condition.
"But Craig has a mechanical heart valve so if it’s quiet you can hear it ticking.
"It’s much louder than a normal heartbeat.
"I had no idea what the noise was, but I remember asking him about it.
"That’s when he told me.
"Looking at him, you wouldn’t know what he’s been through.
“So, since then I’ve learnt so much about what the BHF do, the research they fund into heart and circulatory diseases and how it helps our family.”
The couples' children Eva, eight, and Leon, five, also potentially faced increased risks of congenital heart disease, inspiring Kirsty's fundraising marathon efforts.
BHF statistics reveal around 13 babies are diagnosed daily with congenital heart defects in the UK, a figure the research they fund seeks to change.
The money raised so far contributes to the charity’s four-year partnership with Royal Mail aiming to generate £2 million to fund the Community Hearts programme and train 100,000 Royal Mail staff in CPR using the BHF’s RevivR tool.
Sarah Moir, partnerships manager at the BHF, said: “Thanks to the dedication of Royal Mail colleagues and their commitment to fundraising for the BHF, we have already been able to help communities, schools, and colleges all over the UK."