On Sunday 3rd of October, four heroic hospice supporters took on the London Marathon, an incredible 26 miles!
Collectively they have raised a staggering £16,219 for Salisbury Hospice.
A huge thank you to Becky, Caroline, Adam and Philippa.
Becky’s Story
Becky had always wanted to run in the marathon and was overwhelmed with emotion when she was told she could run on behalf of Salisbury Hospice Charity. She began her fundraising by writing letters to friends and family requesting support, she was moved by the incredible response that she received, with many friends sharing stories about their experience with the hospice and loved ones they had lost. She admittedly stated that she had always been scared at the thought of a hospice but after attending a tour her perception instantly changed, she realised it was actually a happy place filled with love and laughter. She was educated in hospice care and told about the various services the hospice provides. Having a better understanding of Salisbury Hospice, the patients and families the hospice supports, she felt moved and inspired to raise vital funds to ensure this could continue for future generations.
Unfortunately not too long before the race, Becky encountered an injury and spent 5 weeks out of action, not only this but she also was unwell just one week before the event! However this did not deter her, she took on the run regardless and successfully completed the race. “When it started getting hard, I thought of all the people my friends had lost in the hospice and the struggle they went through, this kept me motivated to go on.”
After finishing the raise Becky was met with incredible support and spoke of the comradery and support from both fellow runners and the crowd.
Since finishing her raise Becky has become a huge advocate for the work of the hospice and vowed to continue supporting the charity.
Adam’s Story
Adam a regular runner, took a chance on the 2019 London Marathon ballot and by his surprise managed to get a place in the event. Adam wanted to feel he had done all he could to succeed in the marathon and followed their training plan to the letter, he later received the unfortunate news that the event had been deferred to April 2021 and then again to October 2021 due to the current pandemic. While this may have left motivation sparse for many Adam still had plenty of it and kept up with his running on a regular basis, 7 to 8 mile runs to keep up with his fitness. He said that running helped him massively with his mental health throughout the difficult times of the pandemic. He later restarted the 16-week plan in time for the event itself.
On race day Adam felt he couldn’t have done anymore to prepare and in his mind broke the race down into 6-mile landmark chunks to make it feel more manageable. Adam completed the race successfully and said it was totally unbelievable, that the support he received during and after the race was amazing.
Adam chose to fundraise for the hospice after the sad passing of a close family friend.
Caroline’s Story
Caroline chose to support the Hospice as her Mother, Jean Ingham, sadly passed away under hospice care last year. She said, “The care my mother received was amazing, the team pulled out all of the stops to get her home in her final days which was invaluable to us all.”
She is a seasoned runner and has run London twice before. Caroline said at the end that during the hardest parts thoughts of her mum kept her putting one foot in front of another and she spoke to her saying “this next mile is for you mum”.
Caroline, Becky and Adam welcomed the complimentary massage for their tired muscles given at the Hospice UK hospitality centre, along with the opportunity to gather with their families and other runners for post run refreshments.
Philippa’s Story
Philippa ran the virtual marathon with the support of many runners from her local running club. She was inspired as the running club have had a couple of members with loved ones under the care of the hospice.
For her finish, her club set up an “official” finish line for her with finishing tape, balloons, and poppers. After completing the race she celebrated at a gathering of family and friends.
A huge thank you to all our runners for their generous support, dedication and for sharing their stories with us. If you would be interested in participating in a running event on behalf of Salisbury Hospice Charity please email our Community Fundraiser Tamsin, tamsin@salisburyhospicecharity.org.uk.
