Sheffield's Hallamshire Heroes take on hilly half marathon for charity

Eight healthcare professionals from the Sheffield Pulmonary Vascular Disease Unit, based at the hospital, are training for the event on 27 March in aid of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA UK).

The ‘Hallamshire Heroes’ team is made up of doctors, nurses and technicians who care for people with pulmonary hypertension (PH), a life-limiting lung condition that also affects the heart.

Dr Charlie Elliot is a respiratory consultant at the unit, which is one of just six specialist PH treatment centres in England. He said: “Every day we see how much this condition impacts the lives of our patients and we wanted to do something to help the charity that supports them. Some of us have been running for a while and some are beginners – but none of us are looking forward to the long uphill stretch of the event!”

Dr Elliot will run the 13.1 miles with fellow consultant Dr Robin Condliffe, ward manager John Harrington, ward sister Charlotte Peirson, clinical nurse specialist Amanuel Teklesenbet, pharmacy technician Mark Graves, and junior doctor Rosie Oatham. They will be joined by Maria Kiely, daughter of the Sheffield Pulmonary Vascular Disease Unit’s director, Professor David Kiely.

Dr Elliot added: “Training around busy NHS schedules can be difficult, and the event itself will be tough, but if it means we can raise some money for the PHA UK it is well worth it. Just a couple of hours of discomfort on the lovely hills of Sheffield is the least we can do for them.”

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA UK), is based in Chapeltown and works nationally to support the 8,000 people in the UK affected by pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is caused by the thickening and stiffening of the blood vessels supplying the lungs. The life-limiting condition has no cure but can be managed with specialist care.

You can sponsor the Hallamshire Heroes at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hallamshireheroes.