Stockton veteran to take part in London Half Marathon

Liz Taylor, 50, from Stockton, is running the London Landmarks Half Marathon this weekend, to raise money for veterans’ mental health charity, Combat Stress.

She joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) at the age of 17, just after the decision had been made to allow women at sea.

Liz in training for the half marathon (Image: FAMILY)

It was a major change, and Liz faced hardship from some who weren’t keen on serving at sea with women.

With only a few ships fitted out to accommodate Wrens, Liz had been in the Royal Navy for over seven years and had two children in tow, by the time she was deployed with her first ship, HMS Invincible.

Liz Taylor serving in the army (Image: LIZ TAYLOR)

Again, the decision to allow women to remain in the Armed Forces and have children was relatively new so Liz was extremely nervous. Thankfully the support she received onboard was outstanding and she was able to thrive.

Liz married in 2000, had her third child and left regular service shortly afterwards.

Since then, she has served as a Full Time Reservist with the Royal Navy and an Armed Guard within the Army, before moving across to the RAF as a Reservist in 2019.

Liz taking part in her training (Image: LIZ TAYLOR)

In 2019, Liz’s first grandchild was born and had to be placed into her care from birth.

This was a life change, as her youngest child was 16 so a brand-new baby took some adjustment.

Not long after her grandson’s birth, the country went into lockdown due to Covid-19, which saw Liz’s second grandchild born, and this child also came directly into her care.

Knowing that financially providing for the children, as a ‘Special Guardian’, would be a challenge, Liz successfully applied for a job with the Civil Service, and now balances this with her RAF Reserve duties.

Described in one of her first Royal Navy reports as ‘small but nevertheless robust,’ Liz has displayed this resilience in the face of every challenge, from being a woman and single mother in the armed forces to caring for the children who were suddenly dependent on her.

Liz with her grandkids (Image: LIZ TAYLOR)
Liz completed the London Marathon last year to mark her 50th birthday and set herself the challenge of completing 12 running events before her 51st.

She has already run in Edinburgh, Leeds, Durham, Hartlepool, London and even ran on the Humber bridge when it was -2 degrees.

She is now turning her sights to the London Landmarks Half, to give something back to the Armed Forces Community. 

Liz said: “This is my first time supporting Combat Stress, perhaps in part due to mental health issues not being given the attention it deserved when I first joined the Armed Forces. I feel extremely fortunate that I have been able to serve in all three services, and by supporting the amazing work of the charity, feel like I can give something back.

“If I didn’t have the support of my military and civilian colleagues, I do believe that balancing work and the care of two very young children would be almost impossible. The experiences and needs of women veterans are unique, and the research Combat Stress has carried out in this area has also really impressed me.

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“I don’t think the younger me could ever have imagined being so active at 50 and enjoying exercise, particularly while raising two very young children, but I feel I owe it to them and to myself to be the very best version of me."

She added: "Running and time out for myself, is vital and is my little reminder to myself that I matter too.

“Some days I can only get out a run a mile or so, but that short spurt of me-time is time to decompress and be me. I’m really glad that I became a Special Guardian, another of the ordinary people, doing their best in difficult situations.”

Liz's challenge fundraiser can be found here.