Running for grampy
The death of his ‘grampy’ from a heart attack inspired Northampton’s Tom Legg throughout, as he pounded the pavements in London to complete the marathon for our charity partner.
Postie Tom, from Crow Lane Delivery Office, has spoken of his pride at getting through the 26.2 miles in London last month, as one of our British Heart Foundation (BHF) marathon runners on a mission to fund lifesaving research.
Tom took on the marathon challenge for BHF in memory of his grampy, Michael Harris, who passed away after suffering a heart attack on the 14 April 2019, aged 83.
Tom said: ‘It happened out the blue. He was in London for the weekend visiting my uncle and his family. They were having some lunch in a pub when he a had heart attack. The paramedics arrived quickly, but sadly he’d passed away by the time he got to the hospital.
‘It was a huge loss for us all. We’re a very close family and it took a long while to come to terms with. Nanna still talks as if he’s still here. They adored each other. They’d been married for 59 years and were weeks away from celebrating their Diamond wedding anniversary.
‘The 14 April 2024 marked five years since he passed. What better reason to run the marathon than for a cause close to mine and my family’s heart? I know by raising money for BHF I’m making my grampy and my family proud. My nanna watched me on TV and cheered me on from home.’
Sarah Moir, Partnerships Manager at BHF, added: ‘The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fail to amaze me and it was incredible to see Tom and his colleagues’ courage and determination taking on these marathon challenges to raise funds and awareness for BHF.’
Tom said: ‘Taking part in the 2024 TCS London Marathon for BHF was a huge challenge and incredible experience. I have never experienced anything like that ever, or felt so proud of myself. The emotion I felt when I was walking to the start line and again when I crossed the finish line was unbelievable!
‘I want to say a huge thank you to all my friends, family and colleagues who have been so supportive of my fundraising. The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases. I’m proud that I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.’
You can support Tom by donating here or to take on your own challenge for the BHF visit here.
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