Keeping my promise to James: Kate Murray
Keeping my promise to James
My name is Kate Murray and I’m 56 years old. Virgin London Marathon 2012 will be my first marathon run. I’m running it as a tribute to my husband, James. We met just after I celebrated my 40th birthday and within a couple of years we were married and had a son, Andrew. We were a very happy and close-knit family unit. James died in February last year aged just 55.
James had a ballot place to run London 2011 but one evening he returned home from a training session feeling unwell and later that night suffered a seizure. He was rushed to hospital where within 24 hours we were given the devastating news that he had a brain tumour and further investigation confirmed it was glioblastoma multiforme. From being a fit and healthy man who rarely missed a day’s work due to illness he had to give up his job as a Financial Controller because he very quickly lost the ability to calculate numbers, and to read and write. Within a few weeks he was unable to complete sentences so that holding a conversation was impossible for him and even making simple requests or responding to a question became herculean tasks.
Having been very active all his life he continued to try to remain mobile but lost coordination and muscle strength on his right-hand side so he quickly became exhausted after attempting only a few steps.
Andrew, just 12 at that time, and I were traumatised by such a massive change in our much loved dad and husband. Although we were surrounded by professional people who tried to ease this devastating transition, in effect we felt we had nowhere to turn for informed support. And when James died we relied on friends who tried their best to help us through our bereavement.
Shortly before he died I promised James that I would run London for him. I’ve always been sporty but never ever a runner and so he found that idea quite amusing. The 2011 race would have been a big ask so I set my stall out to run 2012.
When I started training in May last year I could barely run 50 metres without stopping. I’m now up to 10 miles, manage not to collapse in a heap when I get home, am surprisingly injury-free so far, and hopefully on track to at least cross the finish line! I will have risen to a challenge which was unimaginable just a couple of years ago, and hopefully will be armed with the same courage with which James dealt with his illness. Memories of his unfailing good nature and wonderful smile are constantly in my thoughts when I’m out training around the harbour and along the beautiful beaches in Poole, as these were places we all three loved and enjoyed together.
I’m hoping to also raise money for Brain Tumour UK to enable them to continue to fund research into this condition; and perhaps more importantly, to help support both sufferers and their families through such a devastating experience.
