Sue DING

I’m running the Royal Parks Half Marathon this year to raise money for the Stroke Association.

And this one is very personal.

My dad was my biggest cheerleader.

For years, I ran marathons, climbed mountains, disappeared off on adventures and generally did things that probably made him wonder what on earth his daughter was doing now. 😂

But he loved it.

Even from 6,000 miles away, he was always there. On the phone before a race. Waiting to hear how I got on. Curious about where I had been, what I had seen, how far I had run. He wanted to see the photos, the medals, the scenery — everything.

It didn’t really matter what the adventure was. He was just excited that I was excited.

And then, on 9 July 2022, stroke got him.

It changed him, and it changed all of us.

For the next 18 months, my life became very different. There were endless trips between the UK and Malaysia, hospitals, worry, hope, exhaustion and that horrible feeling of watching someone you love become less and less like the person you have always known.

We buried Dad on Christmas Day 2023.

And somewhere in all of that, I stopped running.

Not deliberately. I just… stopped.

I lost the energy for it. I lost my appetite for adventures. The things that once made me feel alive suddenly felt like they required energy I simply didn’t have.

I grieved for my dad terribly.

And I think I also grieved for the version of me that existed when he was still at the other end of the phone, waiting to hear about my latest ridiculous adventure.

So this half marathon isn’t really about chasing a time or proving how fit I am.

It is about finding my way back.

Back to running.
Back to adventures.
Back to that part of me that my dad loved watching from 6,000 miles away.

I know exactly what he would be doing if he were still here.

He’d be asking how the training was going. He’d want to know how far I ran. He’d probably tell everyone I was running a marathon even though it’s only a half. 😂

And afterwards, he would want to see the medal.

So I’m running Royal Parks for him.

For my dad.

And for every family who has watched someone they love be changed — or taken from them — by stroke.

If you would like to sponsor me, every donation will go to the Stroke Association to help fund their work supporting stroke survivors and their families, and research that may help change what stroke means for families in the future.

I haven’t got Dad waiting at the end of the phone anymore.

But I think he’d be rather pleased that I’m running again.

And this medal is for him. ❤️