A story of family, resilience and remembrance
At Performance Preparation Academy, there are certain stories that become part of the fabric of the school. Eve Lyons’ story is one of them.
This year, Eve’s sister, Meg, took on the incredible challenge of running the London Marathon in support of Liberty’s Legacy, helping to raise money and awareness for Ewing’s sarcoma research following Eve’s passing in 2017.
Meg first ran the London Marathon in 2019, raising money for Children with Cancer. Returning to the marathon in 2024, she chose to support another charity close to her heart – Liberty’s Legacy, a charity set up to fund research specifically into Ewing’s sarcoma.
As I’m sure you can imagine, the training involved for the London Marathon can be intense and, in 2024, Meg hung up her running shoes – that was, until 2026…
Meg said – “I don’t run or exercise so it’s not like I enjoy the training and that’s what made me say no more. However one of my best friends was going through a tough time and wanted to run so I thought let’s do this challenge together and I ran again this year for Liberty’s Legacy.”
This time, Meg knew what she had to do to train – “I have to talk to people when I’m running (strange I know) or I get so bored so I rallied up the family for phone slots and got on them long runs.” she said.
By the time race day arrived, the emotions were high and the atmosphere buzzing. Standing on the start line of the London Marathon can be overwhelming for even the most experienced runners, but for Meg, there was comfort in knowing exactly who she was running for.
“The start line is scary but you have so much adrenaline it takes away from the fear. They blast the music and have a DJ playing so you get hyped up. I knew Eve was with me on the start line so I couldn’t feel fear.”
“When you’re running you hit multiple walls but I always think back to the time Eve had to go through hell while she was ill and all the other children who lost their life to cancer. It makes me think if Eve can do two years of treatment I can run 26.2 miles.”
Meg’s story is about more than completing a marathon. It is about family, resilience and carrying Eve’s memory forward.
Everyone at PPA is so proud of Meg for taking on this challenge and continuing to raise awareness for such an important cause. Eve’s legacy continues to live on through the Eve Lyons Studio Theatre, and through the people who continue to honour her with love and determination.
Congratulations, Meg, on such an amazing achievement!
For more on Eve’s story and the Eve Lyons Studio Theatre, click here.
If you have been touched by this story and wish to donate to Liberty’s Legacy via Meg’s Just Giving page please click here.