| Jane Tomlinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 February 1964 Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 3 September 2007 (aged 43) Leeds, West Yorkshire, England |
| Known for | Charity campaigner |
| Spouse | Mike Tomlinson |
Jane Emily Tomlinson, CBE (née Goward; 21 February 1964 – 3 September 2007) was an amateur English athlete who became well known in the United Kingdom for raising £1.85 million for charity by completing a series of athletic challenges, despite suffering from terminal cancer.[1]
Having had treatment for breast cancer in 1991, aged 26; the disease returned in 2000 throughout her body.[2] 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.[2] Jane Tomlinson died in 2007, aged 43.
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Jane Emily Goward was born in Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1964, the sixth of ten children of a dentist.[2][3] When she was aged 11, the family emigrated to Australia but returned after three years.[2] 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.[2] By this time, she had married Mike Tomlinson and had two daughters, Suzanne and Rebecca.[4] They later had a son, Steven.[2][5] Qualifying in 1993, Tomlinson later studied to postgraduate level and became a paediatric radiographer.[2] Three years after having a lumpectomy the cancer returned and she had a second mastectomy, and two rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.[2] In 2000, Jane Tomlinson was told that the cancer had spread to her bones and lungs, and was given about 12 months to live.[2][3]
Jane raised over £1.85million through a series of gruelling 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 £5million.
In July and August 2006, Tomlinson spent nine weeks cycling 3,800 miles across the United States, raising £250,000.[3][6] This was her final athletic challenge.[7]
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.[2] 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.[8] Having had four courses of chemotherapy, she developed chronic heart disease.[6] 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.[5][6] Her Requiem Mass, which was conducted by the Bishop of Leeds Arthur Roche, was held at the Roman Catholic Leeds Cathedral on 14 September 2007.[4] Later that day she was cremated in a private family ceremony.[9] On 15 November 2007 Tomlinson's ten-year-old son, Steven, collected her CBE from The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.[10]