‘I was told I was going to die’: Woman running half marathon after escaping alcoholism
A 28-year-old woman, who doctors told her alcohol addiction would kill her, is running a half marathon three years after her recovery.
Holly Dyson, 28, from Southport, is taking part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon this Sunday to raise money for alcohol change charity Alcohol Change UK.
Holly began drinking excessively at university; He consumed two liters of gin a day and often started the day with a pint.
Holly’s addiction to alcohol increased rapidly in her mid-20s, and she began to experience physical withdrawal when she went without drinking, from drinking prosecco in the evenings with her family.
She said: “If I was going out, I would have to buy a bottle of wine and I would put it in three little bottles so I could hide them in a bag and I would just live in fear every day.”
Eventually Holly developed liver disease as a result of her drinking and was hospitalized many times. He once became seriously ill and when he returned to the hospital he was told that drinking would kill him.
He said: “I was vomiting blood and stuff and there they told me if you continue like this you will die in six months.
“I was really going to die with all my heart. I was told I was going to die. I believed it and I had no hope.
“But even that didn’t stop me. It made me sad, but I didn’t care. I had kind of accepted the fact that I was going to die because I couldn’t stop it.”
Holly eventually found a way to overcome her struggles and now finds purpose as a support worker for Change Grow Live, leading walking groups and using her experience to break stigmas.
She said: “I was a young girl when I got stuck in this cycle and I think stereotypes can be a barrier to people seeking and getting help.
“Likewise, I don’t think alcohol addiction is talked about enough. I think there’s a lot of stigma and stereotyping around it, and that stigma is terrible.”
Holly wants to show others that recovery is possible and use Sunday’s incident to show her journey from lying in bed drinking all day to returning to full fitness.
To sponsor Holly and the UK Alcohol Exchange team, visit: justgiving.com/campaign/alcoholchangeuklandmarkshalf2026
