Raising money for the air ambulance that saved her life

An amateur comedian is to run three marathons on Saturday – performing 12 gigs en route.

Klaire Alexander will be raising money for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, who she credits with saving her life after a 2023 road accident.

Starting on Saturday, she will run the 78 miles from her home in Corsham to the air ambulance’s HQ in Semington, passing through Bath, Bristol, Chippenham and Melksham.

‘I will be stopping by 12 venues along the way – breweries and taprooms of course! – delivering a small stand-up set, shaking my bucket and getting back to work,’ she said on the fundraising page for her efforts. 

She hopes to raise £14,000 – the amount it takes to fund the air ambulance​ for one day and admitted to Chortle: ‘Ideas like this I blame entirely on a severe traumatic brain injury and a desire to make my kids think I'm cool!’

Three years ago, Alexander, 46, was on her bike preparing to make a turn when an car clipped her elbow, knocking her to the ground, hitting her head on the tarmac.

She’s said of the accident: ‘Although I will never remember the accident, I did apparently get up and move my bike to the side of the road to avoid causing others drivers any inconvenience, but by the time the crew arrived, it was clear to them that my condition was rapidly deteriorating.’

The air ambulance arrived within minutes and stabilised her, allowing her to be taken to the specialist trauma unit at Southmead Hospital by road. She would spend two weeks in hospital before being released to return to husband Peter and their four children.

‘I had to have three operations on my elbow, involving a metal plate and screws, and I still can’t straighten it fully,’ she said. ‘However, it’s the neurological trauma which has had the longer lasting effect, and life is tricky.

‘I have developed epilepsy, which means I’m no longer able to drive. I initially had fuzzy recollections, suffered from insomnia and I’ve also lost my sense of taste and smell.

‘I did suffer a very severe brain injury, I’m told, and it means I’ve lost a lot of memories and I don’t have the energy I used to. I can only work about 20 hours a week before I feel drained, and I end up going to bed at the same time as my 13-year-old, which is embarrassing.

‘I’m just so lucky Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity were there for me. They got to the scene so quickly and were able to carry out a procedure that a regular land ambulance wouldn’t, so who knows what the outcome would have been had [doctor Jono Holme and critical care paramedic Craig Wilkins] not been there.’

‘I’ve been so lucky to have the chance to speak with Craig about the accident, which allowed me to fill in the gaps and bring some closure for me.

‘I have been gifted a future with my beloved family and am therefore obsessed with raising as much money as I can for this unbelievable charity to help them continue to deliver this service across the county, and beyond, when we really need them most.’

After the accident, she reappraised her life and now spends her time working in breweries and performing stand-up. 

She will do her first stand-up gig at Kettlesmiths taproom in Corsham at 10am on Saturday and plans to hit Bath venues  The Sickle at midday, Kingsmead Street Bottle Shop at 12.30pm and The Hop Pole at 1pm. 

She’ll then run along the 13-mile Bristol-Bath railway path visiting Arbor Ales, Wiper & True, Good Chemistry,  Left Handed Giant, Unwin’s and Lost & Grounded in the late afternoon and into the evening – but she admitted ‘I’ve no blooming idea of timings at this point.’

That will be followed by The Waverley taproom in Chippenham and the  Hiding Place in Melksham, before ending up at the air ambulance HQ.

She told Chortle: ‘I genuinely have no idea when I will finish but, luckily, I know the staff at the last few venues well and they are willing to work around my quite ridiculous plan!’

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Published: 19 May 2026