A POLICE woman who lost her dad to cancer is taking on three marathons and four half-ones in the space of just nine months to help raise money for a charity fighting the disease.
PC Helen Taylor (39), has set herself the personal challenge of raising £5,000 by the autumn despite describing herself as being "not very sporty".
She will be pounding the roads in Inverness, London, Edinburgh and Nottingham amongst other places, to boost the coffers of the Macmillan Cancer and Get Kid's Running.
The idea started out as a New Year's resolution and since then it has grown and grown.
PC Taylor said: "The title I've got so far is "One Cop. Two charities. Three marathons. Four Half-Marathons. Five grand. Six months!"
Her father, the late Fergie Smith, a well-known photographer who lived near Loch Alvie by Aviemore, passed away from lung cancer two years ago.
The police officer said: "Macmillan Cancer were a huge help at a very tough time, so that's why I am raising money for them."
And she has chosen Get Kid's Running - which helps disabled children to get into sports - because she has a 14-year-old nephew who is disabled.
"It is nice to know that there is an organisation that is there to help," she said.
Ms Taylor admitted the challenge was also about making 2011 memorable as it is a year with a few personal milestones good and bad.
"My son Matt who is four starts school and I hit the big 40 this year.
"But on a more personal level my daughter who was stillborn would have been 16 this year, so I wanted to make 2011 a year to remember for some nice reasons.
"This will get me through the year. I need something to challenge me and this is it."
Ms Taylor said she started 2011 thinking about doing something a bit different.
"I've never been a sporty person but I used to run because I felt I had to," she said. "Last year I started to enjoy it a lot more than previously and I have taken it from there."
The mother-of-two trains in the woods near her home in Grantown and her training regime has also been aided in the gym by personal trainer, Hayden Gray, who works at the town's Craig MacLean Sports Centre.
She said: "I'm now doing about 14 miles each day - and if not that then at least one long good run. I try to run between one-and-a-half hours and two hours per day."
The police constable said she had planned to run three marathons but chucked in the quartet of half-marathon races in order to spend more time with her daughter, Sarah (13).
"My daughter was disappointed that she couldn't do a marathon with me because she is too young. So I think we will be doing a 10k as well."
Ms Taylor plans to run the London marathon this Spring with Essex police as part of their cops and robbers brigade.
"I've got to be in uniform when I run that one! Essex police have taken part in the marathon every year and it's great for me because I'll have people to run with."
Ms Taylor is kick-starting her marathon quest with a charity gig at Aviemore's Papa Rocks this Saturday (January 29).
Several local businesses have offered support and sponsorship including the restaurant, Masson Cairns, The Wee Gooseberry and Grantown Filling Station.
She added: "Businesses will get their names onto my running gear to thank them for support."
The police officer will be running in Inverness on March 13, London on April 17, Edinburgh on May 22, and ends in Nottingham on September 11.
For more information and to sponsor Ms Taylor contact her at info@mizprints.co.uk.
