05/03/2013Posted : March 05, 2013
Shanks' pony for equine vets

Equine vets Wendy and Alison to push themselves through the pain barrier at the London Marathon to raise cash for the Spinal Injuries Association.

Identical twin vets Wendy and Alison Talbot are preparing to put their best feet forward for this year's London Marathon.

Wendy and Alison Talbot. However, the dynamic duo haven't had an easy time preparing for the epic endurance race – but even a gruelling training schedule beset with injuries has not put them off reaching their goal.

Wendy, national equine manager for Zoetis UK, suffered a suspected cervical fracture last year. But after being given the all-clear, she pledged to raise funds for the Spinal Injuries Association by running the 2013 Virgin London Marathon.

Impressed by Wendy's determination, twin sister Alison – a clinical teacher in equine orthopaedics at University of Liverpool – vowed to join her every step of the way.

Wendy said: "After an agonising few hours my injuries turned out to be minor. It was, however, a stark reminder that none of us know what is around the corner and this type of injury really could happen to any one of us, changing our life in a matter of seconds."

For an estimated 1,000 people every year in the UK, spinal cord injury is a reality that they never knew they would have to cope with. the Spinal Injuries Association is a UK charity dedicated to supporting all spinal cord injured people and their families from the moment their injury occurs and for the rest of their lives.

The twins have motivated each other to carry on despite incurring multiple injuries between them, including a tibial stress fracture, achilles tendonitis and multiple pulled muscles. However, they are determined to complete the 26.2 miles in a good time.

Wendy added: "Training has been arduous, to say the least, not only because of our impressive collection of injuries but also because of the inhospitable weather – running in rain, sleet and snow isn’t much fun. Your sponsorship support would make a huge difference to the lives of people living with spinal cord injury and would also make all our training worthwhile."

- To donate visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/WendyTalbot or www.justgiving.com/alison-talbot