Ken Swarbrick

In 2018, I was 27 stone and struggled walking, never mind running. On the anniversary of my mother passing I realised I had all the same health issues she had and if I didn’t do something about it quick then it was extremely likely that I would be heading the same way.

I joined a slimming club and lost a lot of weight very quickly.  I took up cycling to try and speed up the weight loss and improve my fitness. My friend spotted my activities on Strava as well as following my weight loss on Facebook. He somehow convinced me that doing a sprint triathlon was a good idea, especially as we would do it raising money for charity (The Christie). I survived Fleetwod Triathlon and in a strange way, actually enjoyed it, but my worst event was the run.

My friend suggested I join a local running club with him. The love and support I received from my club mates made me fall in love with running.

6 years on, I’m a qualified Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF), usually leading 2 or 3 runs per week and Co-Event Director at Clarene parkrun.

I like to think my mother would be proud of everything I have achieved, which all started in memory of her.