A Newton Aycliffe woman has completed this year’s Great North Run to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, after seeing how hearing dogs have transformed her aunt’s life.
Michelle Mlatilik, who works as a CAD technician for a protection panel company, took on the 13.1-mile challenge on 13th September. She wanted to support the charity after seeing the practical and emotional difference its dogs have made to her aunt, who also lives in Newton Aycliffe.
“Watching my aunt’s hearing dogs alert her to sounds is incredible,” said Michelle. “I’ve witnessed first-hand how her first hearing dog, Vimmie, and now her second dog, Gryffin, help her – not just practically, but emotionally too, as constant companions.”
Michelle’s aunt, Karen, said: “I’ve been so incredibly lucky to be matched with my first hearing dog, Vimmie, and now Gryffin. It’s only possible because of the fundraising efforts of wonderful people like Michelle, the volunteers who support the charity in so many ways and, of course, the staff. Huge thanks to everyone involved.”
Michelle’s journey into running has been remarkable. She joined Slimming World in 2022 and reached her goal weight after losing three-and-a-half stone. She caught the fitness bug after her friend Laura persuaded her to take part in a Wolf Run obstacle race in Warwickshire in 2023.
Despite never having run a 5K before, Michelle and Laura went on to take part in four ultra marathons in 2025: the 30-mile Pen Llŷn; The Wall, a 70-mile ultra marathon from Carlisle to Newcastle; the 100-mile Rat Race 100; and The Lap, a 47-mile race around Lake Windermere.
Michelle didn’t need to do any specific training for the Great North Run, as she has continued to run and walk regularly alongside her ultra marathon challenges. Earlier this year, she re-entered The Wall and made it as far as 63 miles. She also completed the 100-mile Edinburgh to Glamis Castle ultra in July, finishing in 47 hours and 37 minutes.
“On the day of the Great North Run, it was really warm, which I think caught a few people off guard, so the main thing for me was making sure I didn’t overdo it in the heat,” said Michelle.
“The support from the crowds was incredible – they were three or four deep all around the course and, because you had your name on your bib, they shouted your name and words of encouragement as you passed. It was absolutely buzzing.”
“I was just short of my target of three hours, finishing in three hours and eight minutes. I was really proud of that.”
“The best part was getting across the finish line and knowing that I’d actually done it. I was in floods of tears. I felt very proud of myself and very lucky that I was physically able to take on the run,” she said. “The first person I rang afterwards was my mum. Then I went to the Hearing Dogs tent, where I had a cuddle with hearing dog Elf.”
Michelle hopes her story will inspire others to get active or support Hearing Dogs.
“If my story – about someone who has gone from doing no exercise at all to completing a 100-mile ultra marathon two years later – can inspire one person to go out and get fit and raise money for Hearing Dogs, then it’s been worth doing,” she said.
Anyone who would like to support Michelle’s fundraising can visit: https://events.hearingdogs.org.uk/fundraisers/MichelleMlatilik