My Activity Tracking
0
kms
Why I'm running
"What time is it?" asked a muffled voice from under the layers of bandage around my dad's face. "Nine o'clock", said the nurse, "you've been asleep 26 hours."
"Shit" dad whispered after a pause. "Does that mean I've missed my yoga class...?"
The nurse laughed. Dad winked at me with his remaining eye.
The joke was funny because he was, at that moment, dying of nasopharyngeal cancer. He could no more have done a downward dog than fly to Ko Pha-Ngan for a full moon party. He was just 54. Disintegrating, drugged, and dimming, he dug deep to find one last gag so he could leave his audience at peace.
When my mum was diagnosed with throat cancer a few years later, we knew the drill. The appointments, the doctors, the vocab. The chemo, the radio, the drugs. The side effects, sickness, and sepsis. The labyrinthian hellscape of medical admin.
During her treatment, she lost the ability to speak and had to write everything down on a whiteboard. One day, she sat slumped and barely conscious with her head in a bucket. Me and my brother were at her bedside discussing a handyman who might be coming to do some work at my house. Suddenly, mum reared up from the depths, his name having sparked a reaction strong enough to reverse morphine; she scrabbled for a pen and, with all the gravitas of a prophet delivering scripture, held up the board: "Not him! He stinks!" before sliding back down to the deep.
Happily, mum lives to slay another day and whiteboard writs are a thing of the past. So, I'm running this for dad and for mum; for the journeys they went on and the battles they fought. For the courage and light they brought to the dark, and whose example of grace under fire will guide me to the finish, and forever.
Also, in memory of my mate Neil at work. The gentlest of souls.
--
I am taking on the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run 2025.
Please donate to my page to help me raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK and support me as I train for a 10k on 23rd February 2025.
Nearly 1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime*. All of us can support the research that will beat it.
Thank you for supporting me! Together we are beating cancer.
*cruk.org/lifetimerisk
My Achievements
Thank you to my supporters
£106
Ginny
£56.18
Luke Firth
£50
Carmen Light
£50
Rebecca
So very proud of you. You’ll be brilliant x
£50
Lauri Buck
Good luck! You'll be great 💕
£50
Grace & Jess
Get it girl! Proud of you ❤️ one step closer to Memphis xxx
£42.40
David & Pippa
Go Carmen! Good luck. With love, D&P.
£40
Laura & Gary
"Run Carmen Run!" You can do it! Lots of love xx
£40
Charlotte & Esme
All the very best Carmen. Xxx
£40
Pol And Martika
Here's to your lil leggy pegs! Ánimo Carmencita!
£40
Emily & Fi Xx
You've got this 💪
£40
Rosemary
Well done Carmen! Very impressed! Rosemary xx
£31.80
Alex
Good luck Carmen! 🏃♀️
£31.80
Laurel C
♥️
£30
Chris & Karen
Good luck. Hope the run goes smoothly. X
£26.50
Aunty Linny
Good luck Carmen,such lovely memories of your Dad . So happy for your lovely Mum ,my lovely friend, we get to keep her xx Run for my Lulu too xxx
£26.50
Tim And Ed
So proud of you for doing this for such a great cause x
£25
Emily Humphreys
Well done and good luck Carmen! Keep running 🏃 lots of love from us all xx
£25
Frankie Stevens
Good luck Carmen! You’ve got this! xx
£21.20
Dawn Leaney
So proud of you. ❤️ Very grateful ❤️ XXXX
£21.20
Jo Bradley
Bravo Carmen - seriously impressive. Good luck!
£21.20
Kasia Reardon
Good luck tomorrow. What a wonderful message for your parents. I hope your running matches your writing 🤗 x
£21.20
Emma Jones
All the best with your race Carmenita x
£21.20
Sophie Brown
Good luck Carmen! Brilliant cause. Love, Sophie and Dan x
£21.20
Hannah Foster
Good luck Carm, a great experience for a great cause. Lots of love Hannah, Tom and the boys xxx
£21.20
Chris Quinnell
Amazing Carmen. Good luck
£20
Ryan & Michelle
Andy would be so proud of you as are all of us! Go get um! xxx
£20
Steve
Good luck!
£20
Liz
£10.60
Georgina Darnell
Good luck Carm! 🏃♀️
£10.60
Diane Malcolmson
Well done Carmen xx
£10
Jen & Rich X
Amazing cause Carm, Hope you find your inner Forest Gump!!! Best of Luck xxx
£7.42
Run Forest Run! xXx