This is the full version of the focus on Barbara Ingman in the Poly Patter.
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I started running during the Brendan Foster jogging boom in about 1977 and did the Great North Run in 1981. I was living near Barbara and Trevor Went and they introduced me to the Poly. There were very very few senior women in the club at the time and I trained with the middle distance junior runners and had a fabulous coach, who some people will remember, called Martin Hine. Before I knew where I was I was able to keep up with most of the juniors and I was hooked and wouldn’t miss a session. However I overdid things and was injured before I knew it. For the next few years I was injured on and off but still kept coming back. In the mid 90’s I was back at the Poly on a very regular basis and training with Ron Stewart. Hooked again I started being involved with the administration at the club. I became the membership secretary and computerised the club records. Ron was race director for the WoW race and I was the race organiser. Ron looks after the course for the race and I look after everything else, with a lot of help from other people, mainly my partner Alan. I found myself doing more and more for the Poly and enjoying it very much – Noreen Rees and I did the newsletter for a few years. I started the web page, organised the catering for the Prize and Presentation. I organised trips to Amsterdam for several years and we have a walking group.

I became Chairperson of the Poly under sad circumstances. Dave Scanlon had been Chairman for many years and on 14 February 2002 Dave had a massive heart attack at the clubhouse and died. It is coming up to the 3rd anniversary of Dave’s death and on 14th February flowers and tributes appear at the Clubhouse in memory of Dave.

I took on the job of Chairman because I was already so involved with the Club and am fairly settled in to that role now. I wasn’t really sure what was involved when I took it on but soon found out that it is a fantastic job. The people are wonderful – some real characters who give me a hard time and some very kind generous people. It is a lovely organisation to be part of. I have recently become involved with the junior members and this is great fun. I couldn’t do the job without the outstanding support I get from all members of the Management Committee.

My favourite training run has to be along the coast to St Mary’s Island and then on to Holywell Dene. My glories were running with the elite athletes in the Great North Run in 2002 and being 3rd female in the Redcar Half Marathon in the same year. My ambition is to get back to the same level of fitness as I had that year and to continue running all my life.

Barbara Ingman

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