Barry woman and team to take on Cardiff Half Marathon for autism cause (From Barry And District News)

Barry woman and team to take on Cardiff Half Marathon for autism cause

8:40am Monday 1st October 2012 in News By Chris Seal

A BARRY woman is set to run the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for the school attended by her grandson, who has autism.

Mya Coles, of Victoria Park Road, will complete the 13.1mile distance in aid of Ashgrove School in Penarth and the National Autistic Society (NAS).

Her grandson Dylan Coles, four, has recently started at the special school in Penarth after being diagnosed with autism, and Mya hopes to help the school and charity in any way she can.

She raised £2,500 for the NAS last year by running the half marathon, but has recruited a team of runners this year in a bid to boost her fundraising.

Mya, 40, who works for Legal and General, will be joined by friends Lee Cunningham, Kyle Everitt, Carlie James, Sophie Carpenter, Joel Hamer and Peter Hughes for the run on October 14.

Danny Coles, DylanÕs father, will also be taking part in the run.

"I took up running about nine years ago when my father died, as he was a marathon runner," said Mya.

"He won the Welsh Marathon in 1974 so I wanted to do runs like that, but a full marathon is a bit too much for me!

ÒI have done the Race for Life five times in his memory.

"I have found training quite hard this year, but I still want to get under two hours," she added. You can sponsor Mya and her team via collection boxes at the Tynewydd Inn, Crumbs (Palmerston Workshops, opposite Waitrose), and The Beauty Spot at The Business Centre, off Cardiff Road.

You can also sponsor the team online: http://www.justgiving.com/runforNAS