A FAMILY has taken on a 'warrior' challenge in memory of a loved one.
Business owner, Adrian Watson, who runs W Hairdressing in Cockerton, has raised £1,500 for St Teresa's Hospice with his wife, Sam, and children, Dylan and Mia, in memory of Sam’s mum, Sylvia Airey.
The much-loved mother passed away in the care of the hospice in October 2018, at the age of 65, and the family were determined to ‘give back’ to the caring team.
The family spent six weeks training with their local gym, Darlington Boxing and Martial Arts Academy, ahead of taking part in the Yorkshire Warrior 10K obstacle event.
Dylan taking on one of the challenges
Mr Watson said: “We wanted to do something fun, as a family, that would help us raise money in memory of Sylvia, and give thanks to the incredible team at St Teresa’s.
“Yorkshire Warrior seemed a perfect fit for Sam and me, as we are both fitness fans, but it was a great opportunity to push our son, Dylan, nine, into more sports and activity, although he has taken up Thai Boxing at our gym.”
They set a target of £500 for their fundraising efforts and beat their target in just days.
He added: “We asked the hospice for help setting a fundraising target, but when we flew past the £500 barrier, we increased it to £700, then £750 – it’s incredible we’ve managed to raise £1,500 and I know it will go some way to helping the hospice and the staff.”
The Yorkshire Warrior course included 35 obstacles, lots of mud, swimming and a 10km run, with their son, Dylan, taking part in a 2km junior version of the race, cheered on by his family including his very enthusiastic younger sister, Mia, five.
Parents, Adrian and Sam, surpassed their own expectations by coming 86th and 87th respectively out of 774 runners.
The family together after completing the challenge
He added: “As a family, we’ve never understood the importance and sheer brilliance of the work undertaken by St Teresa’s, but we experienced their professionalism, dedication and genuine care, as they cared for Sylvia in her final days.
“They’ve also continued to support Sam and our wider family in the weeks and months following her passing, so we have been compelled to show our thanks in some way.”
St Teresa’s is an independent charity which has grown to become a hospice that supports the people of South Durham and North Yorkshire, since its foundation in 1986.
It costs £3 million each year to maintain St Teresa’s, whose services are free of charge for anybody with a life-limiting illness who is no longer responding to curative treatment.
The family and the team at W Hairdressing are planning on future fundraising efforts for the hospice in the future.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here