'I'll think of Grandad' says Bake off star running marathon for dementia research

Great British Bake Off star Candice Brown has announced she is training for the London Marathon to raise money for the Dementia Revolution, a campaign by Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Ms Brown, whose grandad had Alzheimer’s said: “It’s hard to believe that soon dementia will affect more than one million people in the UK. My family knows all too well that this condition doesn’t just affect an individual but everyone around them.

“My grandad’s Alzheimer's had a devastating impact on my nan, Marg, who died at a stage when her husband of nearly 60 years was struggling to remember who she was. You take the good with the bad and hold on to the good as much as possible but in the end, it’s hard and it’s heartbreaking.”

As Virgin Money London Marathon looms, Ms Brown who is currently training added: “When the going gets tough, I’ll just think of Nan and Grandad and how much they influenced my life. If I can do anything to change the lives of other people’s parents and grandparents in the future, how could I not do it?”

Candice Brown has also just taken part in a new film Dementia Revolution to bust common myths about the condition, along with actor Ray Winstone, 18-year-old YouTube star Saffron Barker, Olympic marathon runner with dementia Ron Hill, and a 78-year-old retired Methodist Minister with vascular dementia.

'So many myths' about dementia

She said: “There are so many myths that still go around about dementia and Dementia Revolution is a great opportunity for us to set these straight.”

Speaking of her preparation to running her first Virgin Money Marathon, Sunday 28 April, Ms Brown 33, added: “Last year I got married and this year we opened our first pub so it’s going to be tough to squeeze in training but it’s a cause so close to my heart that I will always make time.

“Many people confuse Alzheimer’s and dementia, disregard dementia as a normal part of ageing or brush the condition aside as something we’re powerless to change. These myths are holding back research efforts so I’m asking people to share the film and help us spread the word about dementia.”

'I'm not ashamed' of dementia

In the film, Ex-Olympic marathon runner Ron Hill, who is living with dementia, challenges the myth that life stops when dementia begins. He said: “Dementia has stopped me doing many of the things I love, like running every day, but I’m not ashamed of it and I just have to live with it. If people are not looking, I do break into a jog for a while. I’m the same Ron Hill I’ve always been….just not quite.”

The Dementia Revolution is raising funds for the UK Dementia Research Institute, the UK’s largest ever dementia research endeavour, which will see 700 researchers in six centres across the UK carrying out world-leading research into the diseases that cause dementia.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This film shows the huge impact of dementia, telling the stories of just a handful of the lives affected by dementia each year in the UK. Every person with dementia has a different story to tell, but by helping the public to understand the condition, we can create a more accepting society that is driven to power change through research.”

In January the Virgin Money London Marathon announced the campaign for this year’s event is #ThanksaBillion, as 2019 will see a landmark in the history of the marathon as fundraising from the event reaches £1bn.