A FITNESS fanatic is running the London Marathon to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease in honour of her uncle.

Colchester resident Lana Milne is taking on her third London Marathon in a bid to raise money for the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.

Lana’s uncle John is living with the neurodegenerative condition, which effects roughly 145,000 people in Britain.

The Cure Parkinson’s Trust is connected to the London hospital where a surgeon performed a pioneering deep brain stimulation operation on John in 2011, vastly improving his quality of life.

Ms Milne said: “Whilst I have always felt hugely helpless throughout his illness, I hope I can at least do something to help such a worthwhile cause that is helping people with Parkinson’s like my Uncle John.”

As well as completing the London Marathon twice in the past, the keen runner has tackled Brighton Marathon and the London to Brighton walk.

However, her latest challenge will be her first in several years as she took a break from the sport she loves to have her two young children.

Ms Milne said: “It’s the most nervous I’ve felt about a race.

“But, the race pain is a drop in the ocean compared to what people with Parkinson’s endure and that’s what will keep me pushing forward on race day.

“Many may think I have done this before so it should be easy, but with far more limited time to train, and following a lot of time out, it is going to be a huge ask of my body and hard, hard work.”

Ms Milne is hoping to raise £2,500 for the charity, a figure she is more than half way to achieving.

Helen Matthews, deputy chief executive of Cure Parkinson’s Trust, said: “Fundraising support is absolutely critical for the charity to enable us to achieve our goal.

“We aim to cure Parkinson’s and the only way we will do this is through the help of all our supporters - it’s as simple as that.”

Figures suggest one in 37 people will receive a diagnosis of Parkinson’s in their lifetime.

The Cure Parkinson’s Trust funds innovative research designed to find new treatments which can slow, stop or reverse the condition.Donate at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lana-milne1.