Woman ran along Hadrian's Wall in memory of her brother-in-law who was cared for by St Catherine's Hospice

A woman underwent a gruelling 85-mile running challenge along the length of Hadrian’s Wall in memory of her brother-in-law.Helen Lynch wanted to give back to St Catherine’s Hospice where her brother-in-law Ian Moore, from Farington, was cared for by after being diagnosed with cancer last summer. The father-of-one who had two grandchildren, died in August last year, aged 74.Helen, who lives in Exeter, said: “When I found out that the hospice wasn’t all government funded, I decided to do something to help raise funds. Hospices are so important and the majority of the money I raised was donated by people in Exeter who don’t even have a connection with St Catherine’s, which goes to show how valued hospices are to people.”The 54-year-old completed the challenge over three days and raised £1,074.She added: “I’ve been a runner all of my life and I put in a lot of training for this, but it was an incredibly tough challenge and I was up against gale force winds on some days. Knowing so many people had sponsored me really spurred me on, and I met lots of walkers along Hadrian’s Wall who gave me a lot of encouragement, which gave me a big boost. I had planned to do it over four days but managed it in three. “When Ian died and I heard so much about the fantastic care he received at St Catherine’s, I really wanted to take on a challenge to raise funds for the charity. Now we’re hoping to organise annual fund-raising challenges in Ian’s memory for people to join in with.”Hayley Jackson, community engagement officer at St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Helen for putting in so much effort and for the amazing generosity of her friends and family in Exeter who sponsored her. Her donation will make a real difference to families, as we strive to help even more people enjoy quality of life.”