The Great North Run has been part of my life for the past nine years. By taking part in 2005 I will have achieved my goal of 10 Great North Runs and next year I get my coveted green number. Being severely disabled and totally wheelchair dependent, to take part in any international event is out of the question, so I thought. After watch the run on my TV since the first one, I kept asking friends if they would push me in the event. In 1996 my friend Hazel Grigg agreed to push me. We shall never forget the buzz and excitement of being at the starting line... The warm up exercises, the helicopters hovering over head. The long line for the loos and the general excitement of everyone as the count down began. Hazel is the first to agree that she is no runner and even with the preparation before hand, we still took just under 4 hours to complete the course. Since then I have had various pushers to which I say thank you for making it possible to enter this wonderful event. I have raised about £3500 for the two charities I support, Across Jumbulance and Independent Age. BBC Tyne says: Mary asked volunteers to help push her wheelchair around the Great North run course this year to get in touch with us. Here's what happened next.... Update 9 July 2005 After my appearance in "Great North Run - your stories" and a personal request to the charities on the 2005 Great North Run charities list, I now have two pushers for my wheelchair. The first offer of help came from Scope’s Event Fundraiser, Annaliese Broderick, who was so taken by my story, that she put out an email to all their runners to see if any of them were willing to help push me around the course. Andy Pearson, from Ireland, responded saying that be would gladly help In June I went, with Across Jumbulances, on my Pilgrimage to Lourdes where I met Student Nurse Rosemarie Barbour. I talked to Rosemarie about the problems in finding a running team to push me in my 10th GNR. Rosemarie after some thought, volunteered her services One big problem now faced me, Rosemarie needed a Great North Run number. There was only one thing for me to do, contact most of the charities on the Great North Run list to see if they had any spare numbers. George Turner of Galloway's Society for the Blind offered Rosemarie a number from his allocation in the 25th Great North Run. No conditions were imposed except that Rosie would have to be legally part of his running team and the entrance fee paid. So there we have it. I now have two pushers in my team thanks to three charities. I wish to say a big thank you to Across Jumbulance, Scope and the Galloway's Society for the Blind, for their help and support in my 10th Great North Run. | 
