Stafford 10K: Meet our Runners!

UHNM Charity's very own Becky Bate is taking on the Stafford 10K on Sunday to thank the Acute Stroke Unit at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.

Here's her story:

“I’m really excited and really nervous at the same time. This feels so much more special running it in aid of my local hospital at UHNM and the unit who cared for my Dad who suffered a stroke in 2017.”

“It was such a horrible day getting the phone call that nobody ever wants to receive saying your Dad’s had a stroke- my world just stopped. I didn’t know what was going to happen, what his quality of life was going to be, or even if he was a life he was going to have again.”

“But thanks to the amazing quick thinking of the team on the stroke ward and constant monitoring he pulled through. They offered him an experimental drug.”

“He’s been able to come away with a near full recovery. But now I can look forward to him walking me down the aisle when I get married next year and he’ll hopefully one day become a Grandad.”

“It’s never understated the work the team has done to make sure my Dad is still here. This is my way of saying thank you.”

“Coming from Stafford, the 10K has always been a highlight in the town growing up for me and I’ve had a lot of friends and family who have participated in these runs and it’s been really inspiring for me and something I’ve always wanted to try. I did it for the first time a couple of years ago for the first time and I want to try and beat that time- fingers crossed I’m aiming for under an hour this time and enjoing the challenge.”

“Training is going really well, I’ve done a couple of 5K’s and a 9K- I’m leaving the full 10K until the day of the race itself to give me that last push, I’m sure the crowd and excitement on the day will give me a push and get me over the line.”

“I’ve named it my ‘Hippopotamus 10K’ because when they were evaluating my dad one of the phrases they got him to say was ‘baby hippopotamus’ because you’ve got to really use your mouth- it was funny because it came out as almost like a drunken slur, we’ve always looked back on it and smiled at it, he’s even had presents of stuffed hippos bought for him.”