Dudley Councillor runs his way through marathons for Critical Care
Richard Body, a Councillor in Dudley, has been working his way through 12 marathons and an ultra-marathon in 12 months for the Critical Care Unit here at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
Richard’s inspiration for doing all of these marathons came from having a routine health check in June 2016 and being told he was classed as obese and was at risk of type 2 diabetes.
He decided to begin his health-kick to make himself feel better, and whilst he was exercising, wanted to raise money for the Critical Care Unit at QEHB where his dad was receiving treatment. They knew it cost a lot to run and wanted to give something back for the “fantastic” care his dad received.
The 52-year-old began power-walking every day as he hadn’t exercised since he finished school! From doing this he found the exercise was becoming painful and was soon diagnosed with stage four osteoarthritis.
Richard said: “One day arthritis will get the better of me, but until then, I choose not to allow pain to dictate what I can and cannot do!”
Along with the 12 marathons Richard is aiming to complete, he has also taken part in an ultra marathon called the Pennine Barrier. He completed this on his eighth marathon and it included an 8507ft ascent and a cut off time of 17 hours. Richard completed this in 15 hours and 11 minutes and was the first person to finish the race with stage four osteoarthritis.
Richard will end his marathon journey on October 14 with the QEHB Charity and hopes to raise £725 by that time. He has so far raised £590 and is well on the way to meeting his target. To help Richard in his journey, you can donate to his JustGiving page by clicking here.
Rachel Learmonth, Senior Fundraiser at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, said: “A huge congratulations goes to Richard who has already done so well by completing nine of his 12 marathons. I have been following his progress and I am so pleased that Richard is enjoying the marathons whilst raising money for the Critical Care Unit!
“The money he raises will go towards ‘added extras’ for the patients who are receiving treatment on the ward, and will also help families and staff on the ward to make sure they are getting the best treatment possible.”
Richard’s father sadly passed away in August but he is still continuing his marathon journey in memory of his Dad. He will even continue to do marathons next year when his fundraising is over this year, he said: “Never give up and you’ll achieve more than you could ever imagine. The QE was like another world, the care my Dad received was fantastic.”
If you have been inspired by Richard’s story, it’s not too late to join him in supporting the QEHB Charity, as you can join us for the SimplyHealth Great Birmingham Run which is a half marathon on October 14. To find out more information please click here, you can also contact rachel.learmonth@uhb.nhs.uk or call 0121 371 4852.
