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More on KentOnline
A mother-of-four who had to re-learn how to walk and talk after having two strokes will run the London Marathon this April.
Evelyn Dalton suffered an infarction to the right side of her brain when she was 30, but has since raised hundreds for charity.
The 39-year-old, of St Patrick’s Gardens, Gravesend, will take on the 26.2 mile race for the third and final time, to raise money for Imago Community.
The charity delivers a range of services aimed at supporting independence, reducing social isolation and creating opportunities for society’s most vulnerable.
For Evelyn, who has four children with autism, it is an organisation close to her heart, as three of her sons have benefited from its work.
Thomas, 13, Oliver, 12, and Louie, 10, were referred to a club run by the charity at Cygnets Leisure Centre in Northfleet.
Evelyn said: “Imago supports children and young adults with autism and special educational needs.
“All the charities I’ve run for in the past have been close to home, and Imago is no different.
“It allows children to make friends, and shows them they are not alone, that there are others with the same needs.”
In the past, Evelyn has also raised money for the Stroke Association, and the British Heart Foundation, which she picked because she was born with a hole in her heart.
Known to her friends as "supermum", Evelyn trains three times a week, while her children are at school.
She is hoping to raise £1,000 through her Virgin Money Giving page, and is aiming to arrange an event with the help of Meopham School, which two of her children attend.
The single parent has decided to make this year her final marathon in order to dedicate more time to her family.
She said: “It’s going to feel weird not running any more, and I have mixed feelings about it.
“Running the London Marathon is an incredible experience.
"You’ll never experience anything that comes even close, because of all the people watching.
"This year will be just as amazing, but it will be bittersweet."
