Camelon bride-to-be battled pain barrier on her big day run

Had it not been for the COVID-19 crisis Joda Quigley (39), a gold medal winning boxer and fitness instructor, would have been tying the knot with fiance John Denovan (42), on Friday, July 3.

Unfortunately the couple have been forced to postpone the happy event until 2021.

That did not stopped them making it a special day, however, as they planned to run from their home in Camelon to Rosyth and back again to raise cash for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.

Well, actually it was the day before the wedding because the weather forecast for Friday was so bad they decided to set off 24 hours earlier.

Joda said: “We thought, we’re just going to have to go on the Thursday and it was absolutely perfect conditions.”

It was a not so perfect for John, however.

“The distance was actually 22 miles there and back,” said Joda. “And at about mile 31 John started to cramp up so he had to get on a bike for the last 12 or so miles.”

And it was not all plain sailing for Joda either, who had suffered a pain in her ankle during and after her remarkable run.

“My ankle was a bit numb and swollen. I thought it was due to the 44 miles I covered and just left it. I wouldn’t expect to finish a run like that without having some pain.

“Then the swelling got worse and I ended up going to the minor injuries unit at the hospital to get it looked at.”

Thankfully there were no fractures and it was just swelling.

“The nurse told me there didn’t appear to be any damage to the ankle,” said Joda. “And then she gave me a £20 donation to the charity.”

The run itself raised over £1200 and Barclays Bank kindly doubled the first £1000 to give a grand total of £2200 for the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.

When daughter Tamzen was struck down by potentially deadly meningitis over a decade ago the hospital staff were on hand to save her and nurse her back to full health.

She and her sisters Taylor and Tara were at the start and the finish line to cheer on the couple.

Now Joda and John are looking forward to their wedding in 2021.

Joda said: “I look forward to not running those miles again for a while – that’s for sure.”

People can visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joda-quigley2 to make donations to the cause.