A Cheshire vet nurse has raised more than £2,000 for the National Autistic Society after completing the New York Marathon.
Cheryl Corless, who works at Linnaeus-owned Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Sutton Weaver, Cheshire, took on the Big Apple event with husband Paul.
Cheryl, 34, from Warrington, Cheshire, is a keen endurance athlete and finished in a time of 4hrs 33m, compared to her personal best of 3hrs 52m.
She said: “The experience was great and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was really supportive and really friendly. The course was tough with warm, humid weather and plenty of hills.
“We flew home the day after the race so my recovery took a few days, mainly because of the jet lag on the way back, but it was all worth it. I would definitely do it again!”
Cheryl said she was pushed on by knowing she was running for such a vital cause.
“The National Autistic Society is here to transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people,” she said.
“We know a lot of people who have family members or friends with autism and it really hit home when we researched the charity and its amazing work.
“We realised there is still so much to do to increase opportunities, reduce social isolation and build a brighter future for autistic people and that’s why we wanted to raise as much as we possibly could.”
Cheryl and Paul had previously run marathons in London, Manchester and Florida and competed in triathlon events around the UK.
She says New York was a real thrill with the course taking in some of the City’s famous landmarks.
Cheryl added: “The course started in Staten Island, took in the Bronx, Queens and Harlem before finishing in Central Park, Manhattan.
“It’s something I’ll never forget and I’m so grateful to everyone who donated so generously in aid of the National Autistic Society.”
There’s still time to donate even more so if you’d like to contribute, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cheryl-corless.
