This October, Sarah will be taking on Run Leicester in memory of her father-in-law. This is her story behind wanting to take on this challenge and run in his memory.
Driven by determination, Sarah hopes to honor his legacy and inspire others along the way.
“My connection to LOROS began years ago through my grandma’s sister, who was cared for at the hospice at the end of her life when I was young. Fast forward a few years, my father-in-law then sadly got diagnosed with prostate cancer.
My father-in-law was a joker; everyone loved him, and he never took life too seriously. He was a nurse, a night manager at the Royal for over 40 years. We got on so well, and I couldn’t have asked for a better father-in-law.
He was having issues at home, and we weren’t quite sure what the cause was. He didn’t think it was due to the cancer, so we brought him in just for an assessment. He always said that he wanted to go to LOROS when he died, as he had been for day therapy in the past. However, at the moment, that wasn’t what he was there for. He walked in fairly well, but unfortunately, while he was at LOROS, he deteriorated very quickly and died last June. And even though we knew his time was limited, it was unexpected – it caught everyone off guard.
I’m a district nurse, so I look after people in similar situations in their own homes, but the care that LOROS gave to my father-in-law, that can’t be replicated. Nothing was too much trouble; they even went above and beyond to support my mother-in-law. She even had complimentary therapy. It’s just amazing. And as a family, we are still being supported through the counseling services – the care was just fantastic.
The reason why I decided to fundraise for LOROS is that everybody should have that care if they want it, and they rely heavily on fundraising. So, if I can give something back and make sure other people can receive the same care that my father-in-law received, then that’s the goal. And you never know, we may need their services again.
The reason why I took part in Run Leicester is that a couple of years back, I participated in the 10k , and I wanted to take on another running challenge. Also, it’s local, the atmosphere is really good, I’m running with a friend, and it’s for LOROS. I’m also currently on a weight loss journey, so preparing for the event gives me a goal to work towards. After I’ve done the 10k, I grew in confidence and took part in the weekly park runs. So, for training, the aim is to take part in the park runs on a Saturday, and I’ll try to go out for a run in the week, gradually building up to around the 8k mark, so at least I know that I’ll be able to run that distance, and the rest of it is mind over matter.
For anyone thinking about taking on a Run Leicester, I would say at least try it. You meet people along the way; there are runners of all paces. It doesn’t matter if you are last; the crowd will still cheer you on. Even runners who have finished will tend to come back to join you across the finish line. Even if you have to stop and walk, as long as you get across that finish line – that’s all that matters.”
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