Lucy has been mentioned and photos of her with Vicki Maclean and Andrew
Young have been printed in two New Zealand papers this week. The
articles related to Vicki Maclean's training for the New York Marathon
in November and her goal of raising $50,000 for Starship.
The
articles appeared in the East and Bays Times 30 September 2009 and
North Shore Times 01 October 2009 and appear to be the same article but
with different pictures of Lucy.
The article transcript:
A PASSION for child healthcare has convinced a Remuera woman who dislikes running to enter a marathon.
Strong support: Starship Foundation ambassador and board trustee Lucy Lawless, left, is helping Remuera resident Vikki Maclean train for the New York marathon.Mother-of-two Vikki Maclean decided to make the year a memorable one by entering the New York marathon after a mid-life crisis set in and she had concerns about turning 50.
She is raising funds for the Starship Foundation - a cause dear to her heart after two difficult pregnancies.
Her sons - Ollie, 11, and Angus, 15 - are now fit and healthy but while she was pregnant she contracted rhesus disease, which causes complications with red blood cells because of a small amount of the baby's blood entering the mother's circulation.
Mrs Maclean suffered internal bleeding and had a series of miscarriages.
But she has survived the ordeal and is proud of her two boys.
"When you look at him now, you'd never know," she says of Ollie.
Because of her support for the lifesaving services at Starship, she agreed to run the marathon with foundation chief executive Andrew Young on November 1.
It was a big step for the Scottish executive search consultant, who had not exercised much in 10 years.
"I was very unfit and very fat," she says. "I've made being a couch potato a fulltime profession."
Mrs Maclean enlisted the help of a personal trainer and with perseverance she has made steady progress since deciding to take part.
A self-proclaimed non-runner, she has lost 16 kilograms so far and feels full of energy.
When she finally reaches the New York marathon start line, she does not expect to keep up with her counterpart Mr Young.
"We will start together and I'll see him three days later," she laughs.
The marathon will start at Stratton Island, go through Manhattan, via the districts of the Bronx and Brooklyn and will finish at Central Park.
She hopes to raise $25,000 for the foundation, with $14,000 raised to date.
Starship Foundation ambassador and board trustee, actress Lucy Lawless has also come on board for the cause.
"Not only has she put her name behind it, she's sponsoring it," says Mrs Maclean.
Mr Young's fundraising efforts have raised close to $22,000 so far.
The money will be put towards lifesaving devices, incubators and monitors for the hospital.
"It's been really tough through winter," he says of the rigorous six-day-a-week training. "I'm just keen to get there."
To donate visit www.fundraiseonline.co.nz / a young and www.fundraiseonline.co.nz / vikkimaclean. The pair leave for New York on October 26.