When Angie Childs heard that H·E·A·R·T UK was one of the two Official Charities for the Flora London Marathon 2008, she knew instantly that she had to run the race of her life to raise funds and awareness for ‘The Cholesterol Charity’.

Angie has lost two of the most important people in her life to inherited high cholesterol (IHC) and she knows only too well that it is a silent, deadly condition which shortens lives and diminishes young families.

“My mother died tragically, and suddenly, at the age of 32 when I was just seven years old, making five kids under 10 motherless and I believe that four of my mother’s eight siblings died of heart attacks under the age of 40 too. These deaths were sudden and undiagnosed. Then, two years ago, my twin brother Joey had a fatal heart attack, aged just 38. He was on statins for IHC but lacked a deep understanding of the dangers and so did not take his medication regularly. He has left a wife and four very young children.”

Angie herself does not have IHC but her three sisters have to take statins for the rest of their lives and, following Joey’s death, they now realise why taking their medication regularly is so important.

Like H·E·A·R·T UK, Angie is passionate about educating people to understand the dangers of raised cholesterol, especially IHC. More than 600,000 people in the UK have some form of IHC, but at least half a million have not been diagnosed. So in a mission to alert people to the dangers of high cholesterol, Angie invites runners who have been successful in acquiring a ballot place to join her in keeping young hearts running. “If we can raise awareness of this brutal and often silent killer we will not only save lives but help stop the heartache of sudden and desperate grief for families and friends,” she says.

Running for H·E·A·R·T UK, Angie will join the Charity’s Teamredlaces consisting of 250 Guaranteed Place runners and a large number of runners who have successfully acquired their own place through the ballot.

Not wanting the fundraising activities to distract her from her training plan, Angie has enlisted the help of a friend who is her campaign manager. ‘I’m determined to run the Marathon in a decent time, and I want to raise much more than the pledge level of £1250,” said Angie.