Kathryn Realf and her fiancé Wasseem Williamson, who live over 10,000 miles away, will be pulling on their running shoes to raise money for Myton and taking part in the City 2 Surf run on Sunday 13th August. They are taking on the 14k run from Sydney to Bondi beach in memory of Kathryn’s brother Stephen Realf, who sadly died from a brain tumour.
Kathryn said...
Writing on her just giving page, Kathryn explains: “Stephen had been a fit young man, an Officer in the Royal Air Force and undertaking his Pilot training, when he was diagnosed at age 19. As you can imagine, it shattered his whole world, and ours too. Nothing can prepare you for a diagnosis like that.
“During the course of his illness, Stephen endured several gruelling operations (including brain surgery while awake!), chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and he was devastated when he was medically discharged from the RAF, but throughout it all, Myton Hospices were a ray of sunshine for Stephen. They provided much needed support to him and the family, completely free of charge, and he loved spending time there.”
The running...
Kathryn isn’t much of a runner, by her own admission, so has been trying to get in three to four runs a week to build up her stamina and distance ahead of the event. And the route itself, from Sydney’s central business district to the surfers’ paradise of Bondi Beach, is not known for being an easy one – there is a 2k hill section right in the middle which is affectionately known as ‘heartbreak hill’!
How much they want to raise...
The couple are hoping to raise $2,000 – around £1,200 – for Myton and have already had strong support from friends and family both in Australia and the UK.
To find out more about Stephen and the care he received at our Rugby Day Hospice, please click here.