Barnaby Ashton

Our Story

Our family are taking part in the Great North Run to celebrate how far we’ve come, and far we’re still going to go. 

Our son Reef was born just over three years ago in very difficult circumstances. He was a little early, drastically underweight, and started life in an incubator with Raphaelle also very unwell under hospital care. 

Both showed themselves to be incredible fighters, with Reef the most tiny but determined little thing I’ve ever seen. He surprised everyone by being ready to be discharged from hospital within just a couple of weeks, and we returned home to start both our new life as a family and a new job for me. 

Four weeks into that job I had a stroke while working at my desk on a Monday morning (which I now say if you’re going to have one, that’s probably the time and place for it). 

I was left quite damaged, and told to expect an end to my surfing days and my new career. Particularly as it had hit a part of the brain vital to those things. 

This just wasn’t an option, and despite many continual failures and setbacks I fought to overcome the challenges, ultimately returning to work and relearning how to surf. 

All the while Raphaelle was making a phenomenal recovery of her own, rebuilding her strength and fitness to return to surfing better than ever. And Reef has been nothing short of inspirational, a little ball of determination from day one. 

I’ve tried an assortment of training while rebuilding myself, and started to get an unexpected taste for running last autumn. Raphaelle is a Great North Run veteran, so entering as a family this year seemed a perfect way to celebrate the fact we’re all still here and able to take on the challenge. 

We want to raise some money for the Stroke Association in the hope it’ll help someone else going through some of the things we have.