An Aberdeen cardiologist raised thousands of pounds for lifesaving research into heart disease after running the length of the West Highland Way – and back again.
Alice Mezincescu was among a group of ultra-runners who ran through the night to complete their incredible 192-mile challenge.
Despite the relentless rain and driving winds, the two teams took off from Milngavie in the afternoon and ran all the way to Fort William before turning and heading back to the starting point again.
Ms Mezincescu was part of the women’s team, which finished in just under 38 hours, while the men’s team finished in under 28 hours.
The groups, who all train with Pyllon, a Glasgow running and coaching business, were raising money for the nation’s heart charity, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and their efforts have so far brought in more than £4,000.
Cardiologist wants to ‘inspire people’ and give something back
Ms Mezincescu took on the challenge to raise awareness of the work of the BHF, and in memory of her late dad, who died of a heart attack when he was in his 50s.
She now works as an interventional cardiologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
“It was amazing,” she said. “The weather conditions were really tough, but the camaraderie and the spirit of the teams was so high which really helped and kept us motivated.
“I’m so glad we did it and to have raised so much for the BHF is fantastic. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us and who donated to us.”
She added: “My father was still very young when he died, and I guess that has played an important role in my career path.
“I think it’s really important to raise awareness about cardiovascular conditions but also to inspire people to change their lives for the better to reduce their risk of developing heart disease.”
Ms Mezincescu also completed a PhD at Aberdeen University with funding from BHF and explained she wanted to give something back to the charity for all their support.
The cardiologist finds running to be an important part of her life, helping her manage the stress from her job which can be very demanding at times.
She finished: “Being part of the Pyllon team has been a dream and it means a lot to me to have taken part in the West Highland Way challenge.”
700,000 in Scotland living with heart and circulatory disease
Paul Giblin, founder of Pyllon, who coached both teams to prepare them for the challenge, lost his dad Dennis after a heart attack last year.
“It was devastating and came as such a shock to us all,” he said. “Sadly, many other families have lost loved ones to heart and circulatory diseases and that is why the BHF’s work is so important. It’s funding research to help keep families together for longer.”
The team at Pyllon are no strangers to raising money for good causes and over the years have raised thousands of pounds for and given their support to numerous charities.
The BHF is the largest independent funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases in Scotland – research that is only made possible thanks to donations from the public.
The charity is currently funding more than £50 million in research in ten universities across Scotland, including at its Centres of Research Excellence at the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, has congratulated and thanked the members of the running team for their fundraising efforts.
He said: “Our research to help the 700,000 people in Scotland living with heart and circulatory diseases is only made possible because of the generosity of amazing fundraisers, like them.
“What an incredible challenge to have taken on and their efforts mean we can continue to fund lifesaving research to help us find the breakthroughs and treatments of the future and turn research that once seemed like science fiction into reality. ”
Conversation