Chris’ story: A 10k for an amazing Mum

We are incredibly grateful to all of the wonderful individuals who choose to take on challenges to support our hospice, particularly those who so bravely do so in memory of a loved one. Following the London 10k in the summer, we caught up with Chris who chose to run the event in memory of his Mum, Cathy.

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‍St John's played an integral part in taking care of our dear Mum, Cathy, who unfortunately passed away after a short battle with an aggressive form of cancer in 2020. She was a truly remarkable woman, an amazing adventurer, a kind person and the best Mum I could ask for.

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The support that St John’s gave us helped to make the impossible possible. The amazing staff gave the utmost caring treatment to Mum, as well as to our family. The St John’s team also helped guide us through the complex medical logistics required to fulfil Mum’s wish to return to New Zealand, where she grew up, for her final days.

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Mum was always looking at the next exciting adventure and was a keen advocate for living a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. Through training and fundraising for the London 10k, this was the perfect opportunity to pursue a healthy adventure, while honouring an amazing Mum and also supporting a cause that supported us so incredibly well.

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I had never run a 10k before and this was a great motivator to start early training and to make some healthier decisions in order to support an awesome cause.

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I had been looking for a way to support St John's and when I saw this great opportunity pop up on the St John's website about five months before the event, I knew it was for me! I made sure to try and do a park run (5k) every Saturday during the five months to help build up a base level of fitness while doing gradually increasing distances during a weekly mid-week "run club" with a group of friends.

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The race day in July was brilliant! The atmosphere was truly electric, and we were very lucky with the weather. The training helped, but the greatest boost of all was seeing the amazing St John’s Team cheering us on at the halfway point of the run.

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If you are considering taking on a challenge or fundraising for St John’s, I say jump into it! St John’s does truly amazing and invaluable work and it is such a privilege to be able to support them. Also, the team goes out of their way to make participating in challenges run smoothly while also feeling incredibly well supported. It’s a truly great experience!‍

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We’d like to thank Chris for all of his amazing fundraising efforts and for sharing his story with us. If you think you could take on a challenge like the London 10k, there's another exciting opportunity to lace up your running shoes coming up… Whether you're aiming for a personal best or just want to enjoy a festive-themed run through one of London’s beautiful parks, the Elf Dash on Sunday 8 December is one you won’t want to miss! Learn more about the race here.