I am running this challenge in honour of my amazing Dad, Dave, whose life was ended in December as a result of a disease called Cushing’s disease which was caused by a pituitary brain tumour. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to have a large community to rely on for practical and emotional support. Not all people are lucky to have this support system, and so I am raising money in his memory for The Brain Charity, who help so many families affected by conditions affecting the brain, like my Dad.
It is hard to summarise Dad onto the page. He was a man of boundless personality, energy, quirks and mishaps. He made everyone he met feel like the most important person in the room and always had time for friends, family, pupils and strangers alike. As a teacher, he went above and beyond to improve the outcomes of his students. As a local Green councillor, his enthusiasm and commitment sparked a community-wide change. As a Dad, his support, advice and guidance was free-flowing, as were his many jibes and mick-takings.
His passion for teaching and the community was matched by his borderline obsession with music, chess and sports. Although blessed with enthusiasm, he did not have the gift of spatial awareness and was a danger to be near on the dancefloor and football pitch alike.
But above all else, his greatest love was football and more specifically, Arsenal FC – a passion he has passed down to myself and my brothers. It is because of this shared passion that I will be running to every premier league stadium, starting at St James’ Park and ending at the Emirates.
All in all, Dad was a man of many great passions; Madness, Bruce Springsteen, chess, pork pies, the local community, teaching and family. His illness was cruel, but he never lost sight of his most strongly held belief; community spirit and the good in people. In life, he was the best of us and a force for good. In death, we hope he can continue to improve the lives of others through the work of The Brain Charity. See you at the Emirates, Dad.