A 75-year-old woman who is running the London Marathon in memory of her daughter insists her age is irrelevant.
Jane Gibson completed her first marathon 20 years ago and has since run all over the world alongside her husband.
The Beckenham woman, who works as a part-time physio at Sloane House nursing home, tragically lost her daughter Maxine in 2006.
Social worker Maxine, 37, died under the "beautiful care" of St Christopher’s Hospice staff after being diagnosed with cancer.
Jane often runs abroad but on April 28 she will be raising money for her London Marathon challenge, with proceeds going to St Christopher’s.
"I don’t think it’s special that I am still running, but others do," Jane laughed to News Shopper.
She recalled being bemused when fellow runners in Tokyo once asked to take a photo of her and her husband.
Jane added: "When you get to 75 you don’t feel old. You just feel like you. You don’t realise that. When you're any age you don't feel old, my mother told me that. Yes, I’m stiff in the mornings and have various things but you just keep going."
Despite playing down her achievements, Jane once walked the Chicago Marathon with a back fracture and seven weeks ago she damaged her ribs after a fall in Pakistan.
However, to Jane, running a marathon is simply an enjoyable day out.
"My husband is the same age and we just have fun. We have a long weekend, go to a concert, look around museums then the whole city closes down and we run.
"After we raise a glass to each other."
In London Jane’s daughter won’t be far from her mind.
"It was extremely said," Jane said. "Maxine got cervical cancer when her children were quite small.
"She had a hysterectomy and they thought they had removed the lymph nodes but sadly there was one left lodged between her spine and kidney."
Maxine is remembered for her sense of humour and Jane recalled how one doctor once asked how she was.
Her daughter jokingly replied saying she had never died before so wasn’t quite sure.
"She was a feisty girl, our daughter," Jane laughed.
Jane’s husband, a doctor at St Thomas’ Hospital, was not selected for the London Marathon this year but one week later the couple will again be running together in Prague.
"I'm doing back to back," Jane said. "I’m probably the fittest I’ve been in years."
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