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What made you get into running?
I always dreamed of running in a race but never thought it would happen. Seeing photographs of the 2015 Leeds half marathon made up my mind to give it a go. I had got to the age of 41 years old and knew it was now or never. I signed up for 2015 Leeds 10k & haven’t looked back since.
What has been your proudest/best running moment?
My proudest moment was completing the 2015 Yorkshire Marathon with my twin brother, just 21 weeks and 2 days after deciding to ‘try a bit of jogging’. It still amazes me to think what we did. Winning UKRunChat Community member of the month is also a huge honour.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced?
My biggest challenge was the 2015 Yorkshire Marathon. Me & my twin brother took on the challenge at a months notice. This was BEFORE we’d even ran a half marathon. We paid for a charity place out of our own pockets. The marathon almost didn’t happen after our nephew died in a tragic accident just 6 days before. The glory of that achievement will always be overshadowed by the tragic events of that week. It was an emotional rollercoaster. Triumphant but tragic.
Who is your inspiration, and why?
There’s so many inspirational people out there. UKRunChat is full of them. My main inspirations are anybody who steps out of their comfort zone to achieve greatness. For some people, just doing a parkrun or a 10k is a massive achievement. I will never lose sight of that. On a personal level the person who inspires me most is my twin brother Keith. Sometimes you need somebody who’s as daft as yourself to push you on. I have that in my twin.
What are your future goals?
I’ve got so many events lined up during 2016 and going into 2017. This includes Marathons & half Marathons. My future goal is to do an ultra. It WILL happen. My main hope is to stay injury free.
What would be your one piece of essential advice to someone looking to start up running?
My advice is get a good pair of trainers and enjoy it. Park Run is perfect way to get into running.
What is your favorite piece of running kit?
My favorite piece of kit is my running watch. I’d be lost without it.
And finally, what’s your favourite thing about running?
There are so many things I love about running: fitness, achievement, camaraderie and race day atmosphere. I love being part of the ‘running family’ and have met some wonderful people.
You can vote for the next ukrunchat community member of the month HERE