A South Wales Police detective inspector has completed a challenge to run 100km in a month for a baby loss charity despite being unable to exercise for more than a week through illness.
Richard ‘Reggie’ George took on the challenge for Sands, a national charity that supports families who have experienced baby loss.
Reggie, who has experienced two miscarriages, finished the challenge before the end of May, raising hundreds of pounds and prompting wider conversations along the way.
However, the challenge proved even tougher than expected after a persistent cough and sore throat left him unable to run for more than a week.
Richard ‘Reggie’ George
He said: “I did a couple of runs in there, they were about 2km or 3km and I was coughing and spluttering and feeling wiped out from it.”
Towards the end of the challenge, Reggie still had 54km remaining with around six days to complete his target.
He said: “I did four 10k runs in a week, and I’ve never done that.
“I’m by no means an athlete. I’ve done half marathons before but usually I’m a 5km runner, that’s my comfort distance.
“It was a push every day to get through it.
Donations
“Physically, it took me about 10 days to recover.”
Reggie said that a spike in donations following an article on the South Wales Police Federation website and social media was another motivating factor for him, with his total rising to around £340.
Reggie said that despite the physical demands of the challenge, he finds running to be good for his mental wellbeing
He said: “I get a lot of serenity from exercise It allows you to reset.”
Reggie said one of his most ‘satisfying’ outcomes of the challenge had been the conversations that have followed the publication of the Federation’s original article.
Baby loss
He said colleagues who were unaware of his family’s experience of baby loss had contacted him, while others shared their own experiences of bereavement and said reading the article had encouraged them to speak openly.
Reggie said: “It’s good to be raising awareness.
“People have had conversations with me following the article going out.
“Some people wouldn’t have known me when it happened, other people did, and said they had no idea.
“Then other people who are currently struggling, or have struggled, said it was really helpful.
“I think that’s probably the most satisfying part of it. It wasn’t the goal at the outset, but the article definitely helped with that.”
READ MORE: In our new South Wales Police Federation magazine.