My Story

In August 2021 without warning, and with no noticeable symptoms, my husband Garry was diagnosed with advanced stage 4 bowel cancer.  We were in total shock.  He was physically healthy, exercised regularly and was living what might best be described as a normal life.  Thankfully he was a regular blood donor and on one occasion a simple drop in his iron levels prompted a follow up test and a visit to our GP. In essence, we walked in to find out what was wrong and walked out with the worst news imaginable.

Roll forward two and a half years and here we are having tried everything possible with the help of wonderful medical teams to beat this disease but sadly Garry's fight has come to an end.  He died on the 12th of March 2024 at home with myself, Sam and Megan by his side.  

Without a doubt, running has helped me through it all.  In 2020 my lovely friend convinced me to run an ultra-marathon with her and we began our training.  Without knowing what was ahead of us at the time, I believe it was a way of preparing me for what was to come.  Anyone can follow a programme and get fit, but running ultra-level distances takes mental strength and determination.  Garry was a true role model in this regard.  He never gave up and fought to stay with us for as long as he could.  He never followed anything by the book and far exceeded his end of life prognosis.

Running with friends, having a good old chat, and setting the world to right, makes life seem normal even if just for a short while. In the same way, having my amazing support crew encourage me and keep me going through marathons (often in the worst weather imaginable) has meant the world to me. Running with my lovely Labrador always makes me smile. Watching his boundless energy, and the enjoyment he gets from it, always spurs me on.  The many hours spent running alone has also given me the opportunity to reflect, unwind and sometimes even have a little cry without anyone watching. 

For this reason, it seems only right to combine my London Marathon run with a money raising effort to help a wonderful charity continue their research.  Hopefully many others will benefit from your contribution to Bowel Cancer UK and, one day, a possible cure so that others don’t have to go through what so many of us have unfortunately had to endure.

Thank you to everyone that has been there for us.  We couldn’t do this without you.