Pensioner to enter Jane Tomlinson 10k for third time (From York Press)

Pensioner Eileen Rhodes to enter Jane Tomlinson 10k for third time

10:25am Wednesday 23rd February 2011 in York 10k news By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

A PENSIONER is aiming to tackle the Jane Tomlinson York 10k for the third time – at the age of 86.

Eileen Rhodes lost both her husbands to cancer and is determined to support those who help the families and victims of the illness.

Eileen, of Poppleton, has raised thousands of pounds for cancer charities.

The grandmother lost her first husband of 40 years, Jim Smart, in 1983, when he died of prostate cancer.

Two years later, Eileen was remarried, to Cliff Rhodes, only eight weeks after meeting him.

But once again she had to deal with losing a husband when he fell ill with leukaemia and died in 1994, aged 74.

Now Eileen spends much of her time helping at St Leonard’s Hospice and also wants to assist Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of both her husbands.

She is a firm believer that keeping active helps you live longer, and recently went up on a hot-air balloon to celebrate her 86th birthday. Eileen is also involved in the Just30 campaign which encourages people to take 30 minutes exercise regularly, and is keen to join a class in tai chi.

“When you are retired, or semi-retired, you have got more spare time,” she said, as she prepared to go into training for the race, on Sunday, July 31.

But she accepts that given her age, she probably won’t be running all the way round the 10 kilometre course of the race.