
Multiple sclerosis: Juliane Keane sets Guinness World Record
"I got into running about 10 years ago," she told BBC's Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme."I didn't think a marathon was something I would ever be able to do," she said.After watching her husband participate in previous London marathons, Ms Keane finally secured a place and completed the London marathon for the first time last year.
After surprising herself with her performance, she began researching whether any official records existed for marathon runners with MS."I couldn't get over how well I did last year, I really surprised myself, so I decided to look up what is the fastest time for a runner with MS to complete a marathon, but I couldn't find any record for any females," she said."I could only find a male record, which was actually set last year."I contacted Guinness World Records and they set up this category for women for the race this year."I didn't know what time I needed to set the record so when I finished I was just delighted to cross the line."Despite facing soaring temperatures, blistered feet, and waves of exhaustion during the 26.2 miles (42km), Ms Keane pushed through, in large thanks to the backing of the huge crowds cheering her and everyone else on.
The mental battle during a marathon
"It is crazy the mental battle that goes on during a marathon, I was going through periods of disappointment during the 16 or 17-mile mark as I was just so hot and my feet were blistering," she said. "I realised I had to drop the pace and slow down or else I just wouldn't finish."Ms Keane said the London marathon is incredibly special and the crowds helped spur the runners on every mile toward that finish line. "The crowds are just unbelievable, the spectators are just so encouraging and the support is fantastic. "It's just an unreal experience and I would encourage anyone to try it." Upon crossing the finish line, Ms Keane was unable to find out if she had indeed clinched the record. She was told by officials that she must wait until all the runners had finished and had their times recorded before she would be notified. Ms Keane subsequently received word that she had indeed made history and was now in the Guinness World Records.
Ms Keane said RRMS means she goes through stages where, if she has a relapse, she is unable to any exercise at all. "Everyone is different, but what happens to me is whenever I have a relapse, I am basically in bed for maybe about three months and then it would take me another month to build up my fitness again," she said."Thankfully the last few years, I haven't had any relapses, I have been suffering from mainly MS fatigue."MS fatigue can come on at any moment, totally out of the blue and you could be wiped out. "Trying to manage that is probably the hardest part when training for a marathon."She hopes her story will raise awareness of MS and encourage others not to be defined by their diagnosis. "There's a lack of understanding about the invisible symptoms of MS but I'm lucky I can still run," she said. "You can have numbness, pain and sometimes I feel like my spine is just on fire, but that's not visible and can come and go. Her condition is "unpredictable", she explained. "I don't know when my next relapse will be or if I will recover from it in the same way as I have done in the past."Ms Keane said she considers herself very fortunate that she can still run and compete in marathons with her condition. "I'm still able to run and I really wanted to complete the London marathon in case I can't in the future," she said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chris Hughes suffers career blow as he's 'dropped from the BBC' ahead of major sporting coverage - after leaving ITV Racing following CBB stint
has reportedly been dropped from a huge sporting gig - this time on the BBC, following his Celebrity Big Brother stint and romance with JoJo Siwa. In a blow for Chris, 33, it's reported he has been axed from his presenting duties with BBC Sport. Since 2021, Chris had been a regular face of the BBC's Hundred cricket competition coverage, a format that appeals to younger viewers. With just days to go until this year's league kicks off, Chris has been snubbed from the hosting lineup. A BBC insider told The Sun: 'Chris has done a good job for four years, but we're going in a different direction. 'There will be more focus on the cricket this year, rather than promoting the Hundred as an entertainment show. 'Former England cricketers Alex Hartley and Isa Guha and will lead the presenting team, as they know the sport inside out. Rick Edwards from Radio Five Live will be used in the Chris Hughes role.' World Cup winners Isa Guha and Alex Hartley will anchor the coverage on TV, with Chris' role now being filled by BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast star Rick Edwards. Daily Mail has contacted reps for Chris, while the BBC declined to comment. It comes after the BBC told Chris in 2023 that his comment towards female cricketer Maitlan Brown during the BBC's coverage of The Hundred was 'not appropriate'. Chris was interviewing Southern Brave's Australian star during her side's innings against the Trent Rockets, in which he provided plenty of positivity about the women's game. However, he became sidetracked after Brown mentioned a recent team bonding session among the Brave stars. 'We watched Barbie the other night altogether and it was really good team bonding and the group is gelling really well together,' she said. 'That is the key to success I think in tournaments like this, how well and how quickly you can gel as a group.' Since 2021, Chris had been a regular face of the BBC's Hundred cricket competition coverage, a format that appeals to younger viewers (pictured hosting the racing on ITV) Cricket fans flocked to Twitter to blast the Love Island star for his awkward remark Hughes quipped in response: 'You're a little Barbie yourself innit, with your blue eyes.' Brown awkwardly laughed at the remark, before Hughes emulated Chris Gayle by saying: 'She's blushing now.' Cricket legend Gayle was criticised for his awful 'don't blush baby' remark during the Big Bash League in Australia back in 2016. The BBC have since confirmed that they have discussed the incident with Hughes. A spokesperson told Mail Sport: 'We have spoken to Chris and explained that his comment was not appropriate.' The news comes after it was reported earlier this year how Chris was leaving his role on ITV Racing in an apparent dispute over pay. Chris, who is a lifelong horse racing fan, had co-hosted coverage of the channels biggest events such as the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot since 2019. The former Love Island hunk took part in the latest series of Celebrity Big Brother in April this year. Whilst locked in the spy house, he grew close to American singer and reality star JoJo, 22. After leaving the show, the pair later confirmed they had progressed from a platonic to a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, Chris was recently forced to hit back at trolls this weekend after they accused him of being a 'creep' and 'doing anything for fame' amid his romance with JoJo. Chris shared a slew of loved-up snaps with JoJo amid their long-distance relationship and penned in the caption: 'just everything - missing you.' Underneath one troll had commented saying: 'Does anybody else find this creepy.' Chris then responded to the woman named Pauline, saying: 'no Pauline, you're miserable, p**s off kindly.' She then responded: 'lol we see long it lasts.' He then continued in a second comment: 'yeah again, you don't need to speak, you don't follow me, respectfully do one thank you.' Chris had previously described JoJo as the 'love of his life' in a sweet interview, whilst also revealing the nickname JoJo has for his private parts in a shocking X-rated confession. The star told E! News last month: 'She calls my balls Jimmy and Timmy. So she must like Jimmy and Timmy,' adding that she loves 'the rhyming lingo.'


Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Lions tour ratings as Jac Morgan rises to the challenge but Ireland star 'completely wretched'
Lions tour ratings as Jac Morgan rises to the challenge but Ireland star 'completely wretched' Some members of Andy Farrell's squad shone Down Under while others underwhelmed Morgan has earned solid reviews on his maiden Lions campaign (Image:) The British & Irish Lions' tour of Australia is done and dusted, with Andy Farrell's side returning home with a series win despite missing out on a historic clean sweep against the Wallabies. It has been another thrilling summer of rugby, which kicked off with defeat to Argentina in Dublin over six weeks ago and culminated in another loss in Sydney as Farrell's men were denied a 3-0 series win. However, those two matches were the only times that the Lions tasted defeat as they recorded eight successive victories on Australian soil before Saturday's eventful third Test. As ever, some tourists shone during their time Down Under, with others failing to live up to expectations. In the wake of the tour ending, some of the country's top rugby journalists and pundits have given their take on who impressed and who didn't, handing out individual scores to those that took on the Wallabies. While he may have been the lone Welshman in the squad for much of the tour following an early injury to Tomos Williams, flanker Jac Morgan did his country proud as he flew the flag for Wales with distinction. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The Ospreys star may have missed out on selection for the first clash with Australia - in what was the first Lions Test to not feature a Welsh player since 1896 - but he played a crucial, if controversial role in winning the second Test while he also scored a try in the third having come off the bench. Morgan, who proved to be a hugely popular tourist amongst his team-mates and supporters, has subsequently received a solid set of scores from some of the journalists that watched him in action across the series. The BBC and the Press Association have both awarded his efforts with a 7.5, while Sky Sports and The Telegraph have scored his performances across the Tests as a seven. Article continues below He has been hailed as "a force off the bench" by PA, with both Sky and the Telegraph noting the "huge... superb" impact he made as a replacement. The BBC added that Morgan "was terrific against the Reds and First Nations and Pasifika, and totally deserved his two Test caps," before describing him as "a serious player," while the review from Sky said the 25-year-old "flew the Welsh flag on his own for the most part and rose to the challenge". Meanwhile, the highest praise was reserved for the official player of the tour, Tadhg Beirne, while captain Maro Itoje, forwards Dan Sheehan and Tom Curry and backs Hugo Keenan and Finn Russell were among the other highest scorers across the board. Beirne was viewed by some as a contentious pick by Farrell when the squad was selected earlier this year, but the Ireland star more than justified his involvement with three huge performances across the Test series, getting on the scoresheet in the second clash in Melbourne. He has now earned rave reviews, with the BBC rating his series performance as a 9.5 while Sky and PA went with a nine and the Telegraph awarded him an eight. Beirne is credited by the latter with "changing the momentum of the series" with his "sensational" displays, while the BBC described him as "an utter machine", Sky as "electric" and PA as "a worthy player of the tour winner". Itoje, meanwhile also scored highly, with the BBC awarding him a nine for his efforts as captain across the series. The England lock "can be proud of his performances and the way he led the side," according to Sky, while PA described him as a "bona fide Lions great". Ireland hooker Sheehan was hailed as "a player of the series contender who is redefining the role of hooker" by PA, while Tom Curry was labelled "sensational" and "demonic" by the BBC, with the Telegraph adding that the England star "completely vindicated Farrell's faith in him." Keenan - whose last-gasp try won the second Test and, with it, the series in Melbourne - was hailed as "the hero" of that match by Sky, while PA said he "secured Lions immortality" in the process. Russell, meanwhile, "was in 'player of the series' territory" before a very difficult day at the office in Sydney, according to the BBC, with the Scotland fly-half described as "utterly brilliant at times" by Sky. However, at the other end of the spectrum, some of Farrell's men underwhelmed, with Ireland centre Bundee Aki getting the lowest individual score of the lot as The Telegraph rated his series performance as a three overall. "Urgh," the damning assessment began. "Farrell was vindicated in some of his controversial picks (Curry, Beirne) but his faith in 35-year-old Aki was utterly misplaced. Completely wretched in the third Test." Aki's international team-mate James Lowe also scored poorly across the board, with Sky's rating of a six the highest he received. The Telegraph, who gave him a four, wrote that the wing was "defensively all over the shop and [his] handling was not great either," while the BBC said he had "a poor tour" and PA said he "performed below his usual standard". Another Irishman, hooker Ronan Kelleher, also received a score of four from The Telegraph, as the review claimed that "as soon as he came on in all three Tests, the line-out started wobbling like a jelly". You can find the scores for all 27 players that featured across the three Tests against Australia below. 2025 British & Irish Lions Test series ratings (BBC, Sky, Telegraph and PA) Backs: Hugo Keenan - BBC: 8, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 - BBC: 8, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 Blair Kinghorn - BBC: 7, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 - BBC: 7, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 Tommy Freeman: BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 James Lowe: BBC: 5.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 4, PA: 5 BBC: 5.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 4, PA: 5 Huw Jones: BBC: 7.5, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 BBC: 7.5, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 Bundee Aki: BBC: 6, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 3, PA: 5 BBC: 6, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 3, PA: 5 Sione Tuipulotu: BBC: 7, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 7, PA: 7 BBC: 7, Sky: 7, Telegraph: 7, PA: 7 Owen Farrell: BBC: 6, Sky: 5, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 BBC: 6, Sky: 5, Telegraph: 6.5, PA: 6.5 Marcus Smith: BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 BBC: 6.5, Sky: 6, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6 Finn Russell: BBC: 8.5, Sky: 9, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 BBC: 8.5, Sky: 9, Telegraph: 7.5, PA: 7.5 Jamison Gibson-Park: BBC: 7.5, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 8, PA: 7.5 BBC: 7.5, Sky: 8, Telegraph: 8, PA: 7.5 Alex Mitchell: BBC: 6.5, Sky: 5, Telegraph: 6, PA: 6.5 Article continues below Forwards:


Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Eddie The Eagle says he ate from bins before Olympics
Eddie The Eagle says he ate from bins before Olympics He also said he slept in his car in -25C temperatures The ski-jumper had only been involved in the sport for 22 months, practicing at Gloucester Ski Centre's dry slopes ahead of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics (Image: SWNS) Eddie The Eagle has shared how he was a "charity case" before the Olympics - eating from bins and sleeping in his car. The ski-jumper had only been involved in the sport for 22 months, practicing at Gloucester Ski Centre's dry slopes ahead of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. He described himself as a "charity case," preparing for Lake Placid's 1980 Olympics by shovelling snow in exchange for free training on the slopes - using equipment from lost property. "I was scraping food out of bins," Edwards told the BBC's Sport's Greatest Underdogs podcast. "The more I could ski jump, the better I could get and, even if I had $100 left, I wanted to make that $100 last. I thought 'if I just buy bread and milk and scrape food out of bins and sleep in the car, I can stay out here for three months'." Eddie - born Michael Edwards - from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, says he even slept in his car in -25C weather. Taking advice from his father, a builder, Eddie would befriend chefs and hotel kitchen workers in the hopes of getting a free meal. Eddie "The Eagle" has shared how he was a "charity case" before the Olympics (Image: SWNS) "I asked hotels if they needed any work doing... I met two brothers and they let me cut their grass and gave me a free meal," Eddie revealed on the podcast. "One of the brothers was a chef. If I was passing the hotel and he saw me, he'd open the window and lob me a tin of beans or pears. I'd think 'oh great, that's my meal for tonight'. "The British Scout groups where I was staying would give me their spare food before they went home. They were lovely. Article continues below Former British ski jumper, Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards (Image: SWNS) "For the other jumpers at the time, they stayed in five-star hotels. They had the doctors, psychologists, and there was just me on my own. "I was like a charity case really. It was tough - but I had so much fun."