At the ripe, wizened old age of 60, when most are eyeing a racing green convertible to blast through their mid-life crisis with the top down and dignity up in the air, I've taken a path less travelled (and arguably less comfortable). Yes, instead of prowling the streets in a sports car that screams "I'm still relevant!", I've decided to dust off my running shoes for the 2024 Great North Run. This decision comes nearly two decades after cancer decided to redecorate my body, taking with it half my upper body and neck muscles, and a good 22 years since I last thought running 13.1 miles was a good idea.
Why, you ask, would a seemingly sane person choose to chase after their youth in such a sweat-inducing, lung-busting manner? The answer lies not in a quest for lost abs or a misplaced sense of invincibility, but in a cause that hits closer to home than the finish line—I'm running for dementia care. This pivot from mid-life crisis cliché to charity half marathoner is inspired by my mother's decade-long tangle with Lewy Body Dementia, a journey that's been about as fun as running in lead shoes. It's been a saga of love, loss, and learning to find the humor in forgetting where you've put it.
Amidst this backdrop of an emotional marathon, there's a beacon of hope—my daughter, soon to be the family's first Mental Health Nurse. Her graduation isn't just a proud moment; it's a symbol of hope for every family navigating the choppy waters of mental health challenges. So, in a plot twist no one saw coming, not even me, I'm trading the mid-life crisis sports car for a pair of running shoes and a fundraising page. This run isn't just for kicks; it's a stride towards making a difference in the lives of those affected by dementia, a condition that's as challenging to explain as my decision to run a half marathon at 60.
Join me in this comedic quest, where every step is a laugh in the face of adversity, and every mile a testament to turning a potentially embarrassing mid-life crisis into a cause worth sweating for. Let's show dementia care that we're in it for the long run, proving that the only thing more unpredictable than my running pace is the impact we can make when we channel our crises into causes. Here's to running towards a future where every step is a stride towards understanding, support, and maybe, just maybe, a less clichéd way of dealing with turning 60.
https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2024.enthuse.com/pf/nigel-gooding-40aeb
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