New runner Becky Holmes has signed up to five tough challenges in memory of her dad Roger. 

BECKY Holmes and her dog Murphy can often be spotted jogging through the streets of Copmanthorpe.

The 33-year-old teaching assistant and her German shorthaired pointer dog have become such a fixture, Becky has found that some people only recognise her when Murphy is by her side.

Together they have covered hundreds of miles so far this year. Having only taken up training a year ago, Becky tentatively signed up to the York marathon in October in aid of St Leonard’s Hospice and in memory of her dad, Roger. 

But the novice runner’s plans snowballed and she has found herself committing to a total of five tough endurance events in a bid to raise as much money as possible for the hospice which offered support to her dad and family when they needed it most. 

“When my dad died I witnessed first hand what fantastic support hospices provide for terminally ill people and their families,” Becky said, explaining that when Roger became very seriously ill with bowel cancer, it had been arranged that he would move from his home in Wigginton into St Leonard’s Hospice. 

“My dad actually died in the ambulance on the way to the hospice,” she said. “They were so amazing when we got there. They looked after us, they told us what would happen next and gave us help in planning the funeral and put us in touch with a vicar.

“A lot of people aren’t aware of what hospices are like and it wasn’t until my mum visited that she realised what an amazing place it was.

“It’s not treated like a place you go to to end your life. It’s a very positive place and has a very nice atmosphere.

“There are so many people who tell me it’s close to their heart and it makes you realise how many people they have helped.

“St Leonard’s Hospice helped us when we needed them most, as they do for so many families every day. They exist purely on charitable donations so if I can raise a bit of money to say thank you that would be fantastic.”

Last year, St Leonard’s Hospice in Tadcaster Road provided care for about 850 patients – 350 at the hospice itself, and aroundbout 500 in their own homes through Hospice@Home.

Care is provided free of charge but each year the hospice needs about £4 million to keep going. 
About a quarter comes from public funding sources, such as the NHS. The majority, however, comes from donations, legacies and the kind of fundraising Becky is doing. Money last year came from all manner of fundraising sources; from sponsored head-shaving to dog shows.

Around one in three York people will have contact with the hospice at some point – either through the hospice caring for them, or for a friend or loved one.

Roger, 65, a planning surveyor from Wigginton, died months after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2008. 

Becky said that when she is flagging with her running, she hears her dad’s voice spurring her on. 

“If he was still here he would probably tell me that he used to run a marathon to get to rugby each week, then play a match and run home,” she joked.

“I also know that he always thought I could do anything and would be supporting and advising me all the way. He would no doubt be the one encouraging me to try to and run the marathon in under four hours and his is still the voice in my head if my legs are tired and I feel like giving up.” 

So far this year, mum-of-one Becky has taken part in the Humber Bridge Half Marathon and the British Three Peaks along with her brother Matthew and with the support of her partner Mark. At the weekend she took part in the York 10k and has the Great North Run and York Marathon still to come. 

“I’ve only been running properly for a year, and I started running a couple of times a week,” she said. 

“At the moment I’m running 25 miles a week. I’m training to try to and get somewhere near the four-hour marathon.” 

Becky said she’s caught the running bug and she is now entered in the London marathon ballot and is looking into doing an Ultra marathon – a race longer than 26.2 miles. She added six-year-old Murphy was given the go-ahead to take part in all the training from his vet.

Sue Miller, fundraising manager at St Leonard’s Hospice, said: “Without the enthusiasm, dedication and generosity of our community supports, like Becky, it would be impossible to offer the many services that St Leonard’s had provided over the last 30 years. We are very grateful to her and to everyone who has helped us in any way, and we are confident that their example will continue to inspire others as the Hospice continues its vital work of caring for local people and their families.”

- To sponsor Becky, visitjustgiving.com/Rebecca-Holmes8.