John Perkins Construction sponsors London Marathon competitor running for Mind

28th October 2021 | News

John Perkins Construction is delighted to sponsor Newport runner Emma Maloney, who recently completed the London Marathon in support of the mental health charity, Mind.

In this Q&A, Emma reveals how her relationship with her father inspired her to start running, and why she’s passionate about better mental health.

What inspired you to run the London Marathon?

My dad is my main inspiration for running the London Marathon. He is my best friend and I look up to him in many ways. He was the person who first got me into running and was by my side for my first 5K, 10K and half marathon.

London was my dad’s first marathon back in 1989 when he was 25, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps and do London as my first. Although we run a lot together and he helped me achieve many of my other running goals, I wanted to do this one on my own. This was not only to prove to myself that I could do it, but to make my dad proud and show him how far I’ve come.

I anticipated there would be parts of the marathon where I’d struggle, but I knew I’d have my dad’s voice in my head to get me through those tough moments.

Why is the charity Mind so important to you?

I’ve known many people who have suffered with mental ill health and have seen the effect it has had on them. For many years, I have struggled with mental health myself and not known how to deal with it.

Running, for me, is how I’ve learnt to cope with it. It’s a form of escape. Doing the London Marathon was a massive mental challenge for me, as I knew my head would give up before my legs did. It was a way to put my mental strength to the test and show myself I could do it.

With all the craziness that has been happening in the world in the last 18 months or so, I think now more than ever mental health is important, and we need to support one another.

Who was cheering you on?

On marathon day, both of my parents were cheering me on, as they do at all of my races. They are my biggest supporters. Although they couldn’t be in London, my sister and her husband Alex were also a big support. As well as my family, there was also support from my running club, Lliswerry Runners.

What does the sponsorship from John Perkins Construction mean to you?

I cannot express how grateful I am for the sponsorship from John Perkins Construction. If it weren’t for them, I might not have reached my fundraising target. I can’t thank them enough. It was a pleasure to run with the John Perkins Construction logo on my vest.

Tags: Third Sector, Corporate Social Responsbility, Sponsorship, London Marathon, Mind, Mental Health