On Friday, March, 29 a quiz night was held at Rosie’s Kitchen Cafe in Bude. The evening was organised by Shannon O’Neil who is taking on the gruelling 26.2-mile Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, April 23 in support of Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Shannon, now living in Bristol, explained she returned to the town she grew up in to host the quiz, to gain their support due to their notorious charitable nature. The quiz night held at the cafe was a huge success, having 19 different teams competing for first place. The evening managed to raise £706.70 from just entry fee donations, and a raffle which was held during the interval. In support of her evening, the town’s mayor, Bob Willingham, volunteered his services to be the quiz master.

Shannon is trying to raise £1,750 for the charity, which funds research into treatments for muscle-wasting conditions such as muscular dystrophy and provides help and support to the 70,000 children and adults who are affected. This cause is particularly close to her heart.

Shannon said: “We had around 70-80 people turn out which was fantastic! I’m really pleased with how it went.”

Although she is still some way off of her target Shannon still has several months to raise the funds, therefore Shannon is now solely focussed on preparing for her big day.

Shannon said: “This is my first marathon and it’s been a huge challenge for me. Training throughout the winter months, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to get out and run, especially in the dark on early mornings! It’s for an incredible cause, and funding is so important to this charity.”

Shannon is joining a team of over 100 runners for Muscular Dystrophy UK who together are on course to raise more than £250,000 for the charity.

Muscular Dystrophy UK’s senior events officer Rory Criddle said: “Running a marathon is a truly courageous thing to do – before they even reach the start line and look to the 26.2 miles ahead, runners must find the determination to train through the harshest months of the year and to work hard to hit their fundraising targets. We feel proud that Shannon has chosen to rise to the challenge of Muscular Dystrophy UK, and to help us improve the lives of thousands of families living with muscle-wasting conditions. We hope that people will show her all the support she deserves.”

Shannon hopes to run another fundraiser sometime in the near future in Bristol, which is where she now resides.

Supporters can still sponsor Shannon at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/shannononeil