Richard set to achieve late sister’s big ambition (From Worcester News)

Richard set to achieve late sister’s big ambition

5:40pm Tuesday 30th October 2012 in News By Tarik Al Rasheed

POIGNANT RUN: Richard Brown from Worcester is taking part in Sunday’s New York Marathon as a tribute to his sister Jo, who died in 2008.

A WORCESTER fund-raiser will be pounding the pavements of New York this weekend as he bids to complete the race his beloved sister was never able to do.

Joanna Brown, from Malvern, had been training for the New York Marathon when she fell to her death aged 30 while travelling in Siberia after visiting the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Now her brother Richard, aged 31, from Worcester, is hoping to complete Sunday’s gruelling 26.2-mile race in her memory.

He is also raising funds for the charitable trust he set up in her memory, which has to date raised more than £100,000, supporting local sports clubs and helping promising young athletes on their path to success.

“The reason for me doing the New York Marathon is to run it for Jo,” he said. “She was always adamant that if you ever did anything where you asked people for sponsorship, that you had to earn your money.

“Hopefully people will think what I am doing fits into that ethos.”

Mr Brown is planning to fly to New York on Thursday, but is monitoring the situation with Hurricane Sandy.

Anyone who would like to sponsor him can donate at justgiving.com/RBNY12 or by texting RBNY12 and the amount to donate (to a maximum of £10) to 70070.