Jane Tomlinson

Jane Emily Tomlinson, Template:Post-nominals (née Goward; 21 February 1964<ref name="Birth details at freebmd.org.uk">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Failed verification</ref> – 3 September 2007) was an amateur English athlete who raised £1.85 million for charity by completing a series of athletic challenges, despite suffering from terminal cancer.<ref name="BBC Obit">Template:Cite news</ref>

Having had treatment for breast cancer in 1991, at age 26, the disease returned in 2000 throughout her body.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/> During the next six years, Tomlinson completed the London Marathon three times, the London Triathlon twice, the New York Marathon once and cycled across Europe and the United States.<ref name="Telegraph Obit">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Tomlinson died in 2007, aged 43.

Early life

Jane Emily Goward was born in Wakefield,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Yorkshire in 1964, the sixth of ten children of a dentist.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/><ref name="Times Obit"/> When she was aged 11, the family emigrated to Australia but returned after three years.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/>

In 1990, Tomlinson applied to study Mathematics at the University of Leeds. However, when she found a lump in her breast and had a lumpectomy, she enrolled instead at Leeds General Infirmary and trained as a radiographer.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/> By this time, she had married Mike Tomlinson and had two daughters.<ref name="BBC News 14 Sep"/> They later had a son.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/><ref name="BBC News 4 Sep"/>

Qualifying in 1993, Tomlinson later studied to postgraduate level and became a paediatric radiographer.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/> Three years after having a lumpectomy the cancer returned and she had a mastectomy, two rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/> In 2000, Tomlinson was told that the cancer had spread to her bones and lungs, and was given about 12 months to live.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/><ref name="Times Obit"/>

Charity fundraising

Tomlinson raised over £1.85 million through a series of challenges including several long-distance bike rides, marathons, triathlons and a full Ironman triathlon. Since her death the charity that she founded has announced a new fundraising target of £5 million. As of February 2015 £7.6 million has been raised, and in September 2017 the campaign announced fundraising had surpassed £10m.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Last years

In July and August 2006, Tomlinson spent nine weeks cycling 3,800 miles across the United States, raising £250,000.<ref name="Times Obit">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="BBC News 15 June"/> This was her final athletic challenge.<ref name="BBC News 1 Sep">Template:Cite news</ref>

Having published The Luxury of Time in 2005, she released the second volume of her memoirs You Can't Take It With You in 2006.<ref name="Telegraph Obit"/> In January 2007, Mike and Jane Tomlinson launched Jane Tomlinson's Run For All, a 10 km charity run that took place in June that year.<ref name="BBC News 24 June">Template:Cite news</ref> Having had four courses of chemotherapy, she developed chronic heart disease.<ref name="BBC News 15 June"/> Having been elevated to a CBE in June 2007, Jane Tomlinson died in St Gemma's Hospice, Leeds, West Yorkshire less than three months later on 3 September.<ref name="BBC News 4 Sep">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="BBC News 15 June">Template:Cite news</ref>

Her Requiem Mass, which was conducted by Arthur Roche, Roman Catholic Bishop of Leeds, was held at the Roman Catholic Leeds Cathedral on 14 September 2007.<ref name="BBC News 14 Sep">Template:Cite news</ref> Later that day she was cremated in a private family ceremony.<ref name="Times 15 Sep">Template:Cite news</ref>

Legacy

File:Jane Tomlinson plaque, close-up.png

Plaque erected by the Yorkshire Society

On 15 November 2007 Tomlinson's ten-year-old son collected her CBE from then Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) at Buckingham Palace.<ref name="BBC News 15 Nov">Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2011, train operator Northern Rail named a 158797-class passenger railcar Jane Tomlinson.<ref>Northern names 158797 Today's Railways UK issue 113 May 2011 page 66</ref>

In March 2015, a plaque in honour of Tomlinson was unveiled at Victoria Gardens in Leeds, an area she cycled through on some of her fundraisers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

• Jane's Appeal