In July 2018, Karen Ward was physically feeling on top of the world. The mother-in-law had completed the V Women’s mini-marathon last month and was running as hard as she could. Then she went for routine checkup.
Carrickmacross, cum Monaghan, learned she had a congenital heart condition, which doctors believed was a murmur. Since the age of 20, she has been going for annual check-ups. “They would pop in on a heart scan and it was fine,” she says.
However, on this occasion a new radiographer examined him. They listened to his heart and heard something different. She diagnosed Karen, who was 45 at the time, with aortic stenosis. It occurs when the aortic valve does not open completely or narrows and there is less blood flow to the heart. It was determined that Karen had to undergo open-heart surgery.
“I was referred to a cardiologist instead of a GP and he monitored it closely and he explained that it would get worse over time. I would need open-heart surgery to fix it. It was a bit of a shock,” She says.
Her aortic valve had to be replaced and her aortic wall strengthened as she suffered an aneurysm. The surgery took place in November and Karen was away from work for three months. Recovery was slow and sometimes painful, especially in the first six weeks when breathing, coughing and yawning were accompanied by intense pain.
“Because the breastbone has to heal,” she explains. “It was a huge surgery.”
The physical impact of the surgery was something Karen hadn’t fully anticipated.
“It was like getting hit by a bus. I walked into the hospital on my two legs feeling fine, so waking up after surgery was a shock.
She didn’t even realize how visible the scar would be from the surgery.
“I never thought about asking for a scar. It runs from the top of your chest down to the bottom of your ribs. So I guess at an appointment, things like this can be explained. Now I hardly think about it.”
Karen was unsure whether she would be able to run the V Women’s Mini Marathon a year after her operation. But to her delight, she was match fit and back running by the time June turned around. She ran in support of the Irish Heart Foundation and was joined by colleagues at the pharmacy she works at, Carrickmacross, her running partner at Lewis, and her two daughters, Danielle (27) and Kim (25).
To celebrate her recovery, her daughters designed and printed a T-shirt with ‘My mum is the queen of hearts’ written on it. He also did a design for Karen that read ‘Queen of Hearts’.
“And the girls I run into Monaghan with also dressed up as queens of hearts that day. We were a little of a team.”
It was an extremely emotional experience to participate in the 2019 Women’s Mini Marathon.
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Karen Ward will run the V Women’s Mini Marathon this year with the help of the Irish Heart Foundation. Photo: David Conacchi
Karen, who started running at age 40, says completing the marathon felt like she was reclaiming her life after surgery and regaining her independence.
“From the scan to the surgery, everything happened very quickly. I didn’t know if I would be fit enough to do a mini marathon. But being there six months after the surgery, it felt like a huge accomplishment,” says Karen.
“It was emotional because I was going back to what I did before surgery. It was a test for me that I could do it.”
Everyone running, walking or jogging in a mini marathon is doing it for some charity that means a lot to them. Since the start of the mini marathon in 1983, it has raised an estimated €226m for charity. For Caron, this aspect of the marathon binds the participants together.
“I think it’s also emotional because when you see all the T-shirts from charities, or with pictures printed on them – there are charities for female refugees, there are charities for sick children – everyone is there for someone. At the starting line, everyone has a story to tell. There is a sense of community.
“There is a feel-good factor and it is the best run ever. There’s no pressure, you run at your own pace.”
This will be Karen’s 13th time to compete in the 10km race. The event is now in its 40th year and will take place on Sunday, June 5.
for the last two years it was virtual due to covid and lockdown restrictions. However, it still proved popular. In October 2020, the event attracted over 22,000 people from all over the world. But 2022 is the first time it will return in person since 2019. The option to play it virtually will still be open to those who can’t make it to Dublin.
Karen has participated in virtual marathons for the past two years. While she enjoyed tracking and driving a route through Carrickmacross, and is happy to raise funds and awareness, she says that wasn’t the same buzz. He and the other runners missed out on being in Dublin surrounded by 30,000 participants and crowds of friends and family flocked to the shore.
“You’ve got your T-shirt and medal, but it wasn’t really like doing that.
“It would be nice to go back to Dublin. The streets are always lined up and there’s music and bands playing, and kids are playing and cheering.
“In a way, it makes it easier because it’s cute and it encourages you. You can’t recreate that in a virtual marathon.”
Karen encourages everyone to run a mini marathon at least once. She recommends easing your way into it, setting a pace that suits you and most importantly, enjoying every minute of it.
“Just walk. You still cover the same route no matter what the speed. And you have the same feeling of crossing the line, whether you run or walk on it. I know because for years before I started running had driven it.
“I do marathons with friends and family and we all finish at different times and then meet.
“It’s such a great experience and there’s such buzz. That’s the advice I have to give to everyone.”
Participants can choose the charity they wish to support. So many Irish causes will receive significant funding from this year’s mini marathon. One of them is the Irish Heart Foundation. They are asking you to ‘Go Red for Women’, which aims to empower women to take care of their hearts and raise money for life-saving work. Every step you take will help provide support to those who have survived stroke or are living with heart disease and will allow them to take the necessary steps to aid in their recovery.
See irishheart.ie for more information. We recommend that you seek medical advice before setting out on this great adventure. The V Women’s Mini Marathon will be held on Sunday, June 5. Register at vhiwomensminimarathon.ie.
