A SPORTS lover from Snitterfield will be putting her stamina to the test when she takes on a 172 mile round trip including the London Marathon.
Bridget Richards’ 1-7-2 challenge will benefit two charities close to her heart – Alzheimer’s Society and the Shakespeare Hospice.
The 52-year-old lost her dad Mike – a pole-vaulting champion – three years ago to dementia, aged 74.
He played tennis at junior Wimbledon and inspired many of her sporting achievements including marathons and the National
Three Peaks Challenge, which she completed with her sons Thierry and Tobias, in aid of mental health charity Mind.
The mum-of-two added: “It wasn’t easy for our family when the first signs of dementia came on and he became less active both in body and mind.
“In April 2013, he had a fall and the blow to the head accelerated the dementia. He never came home. He didn’t know who we were, he would have hated seeing himself and me – with what should have been plenty more living to do – in a home with much older people. It was incredibly difficult.”
And the Shakespeare Hospice supported Bridget following the death of her husband Glenn.
Now she is not only taking on the London Marathon but she will be walking home along Shakespeare’s Way, a 146 mile path from the Globe Theatre in London to the playwright’s birthplace in Stratford.
The name of her challenge 1-7-2 also refers to one marathon, seven stages of the trail and her two chosen charities.
And for her supporters, Bridget’s friend Allan Lamb is making small metal hearts in exchange for a donation of £10, to represent the memory of a loved one.
The hearts – in the charities respective colours – will be strung around a tree in Bancroft gardens near RST on the day of Bridget’s return on Saturday April 28. Those who have donated can collect their heart on the day.
Visit www.1-7-2challenge.com to make a donation and for more details.
