Best friends
Collections driver Natalie Brown, from Aberdeen Mail Centre, is to run a marathon in honour of the man who was her ‘inspiration for everything in life’.
Natalie will take on the Edinburgh Marathon on next month’s May Bank Holiday to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland. She decided to run in memory of her beloved grandad, Brian Walker, who died in 2017 after nine years of living with dementia.
Natalie, whose 10-year-old son Bradley was born in the same year her Grandad was diagnosed, told the Aberdeen Evening Express: ‘Grandad Brian was my best friend and we did everything together up until he passed away. He is, and always will be, my inspiration for everything in life.
‘Grandad was a milkman for most of his days before retiring through a bad back. When I was a school kid, he encouraged me to walk everywhere during the school holidays. One holiday I remember us both walking from Torry to the Aberdeen Exhibition and conference centre to watch live snooker. We also watched football on TV together and he would often take me to Pittodrie. I really got into playing football at a young age from his encouragement and his love of the game.
In preparation for the Edinburgh marathon, Natalie has been taking on a 16-week training programme. She ran the Baker Hughes 10k in 2017 and completed the Great Aberdeen Run half marathon last year, before she gained the confidence to sign up for the Edinburgh event.
Natalie added: ‘He absolutely doted on my son Bradley, who was born the same year he was diagnosed, and even though his condition worsened he never forgot his name and always asked after him.
‘This is undoubtedly the toughest challenge I’ve ever faced but I’m determined to complete the marathon and raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland to help all the great work they do to support people with dementia and their families.’
Isabel Quinn, sponsored events fundraiser from Alzheimer Scotland, said: ‘We are so thankful to Natalie for all that she is doing to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland in memory of her much-loved grandad and wish her well for the marathon.
‘With around 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland, it is our biggest health and social care challenge. We’re so grateful, to Natalie for helping us to make sure no one face faces dementia alone’.
