A Broadstairs dad will be taking on the London Marathon in April to raise funds for Pilgrims Hospices in memory of his mum.
Scott Aldous has already completed a Canterbury 10-miler, the Deal half marathon and sets out on the Brighton half marathon this Sunday despite admitting he is “not a runner.”
The challenge is to raise funds for the vital services provided by Pilgrims Hospices, who cared for his mum Jane Aldous in 2020.
Scott, a dad to 19-month-old twin girls, says he wants to help Pilgrims with their “incredible work.”
Jane, who lived in Birchington, was just 56 when she died after a decade of health battles.
Scott, 34, said: “Subsequently mum was given six months to live and you don’t expect that news as a family.
“Charlotte and I were planning to get married in July 2021 but we, and my sister and partner, pulled our weddings forward – we had just six weeks to arrange them – so our mum could be there. These were really happy memories with my mum before she passed away.”
Jane was admitted to Pilgrims at the beginning of 2020. Scott said: “We went there every day between January and March 2020 and saw the good work they do for families.”
Due to pandemic restrictions only six people could attend the funeral service for Jane and Scott says he wants to complete his marathon challenge to mark his mum’s life.
He said: “She would watch the marathon every year and I have memories of watching it with her when I lived at home.
“So I applied and in November I got an email to say I was accepted to run for Pilgrims.
“My girls didn’t meet mum but they can watch the marathon and there will be memories of that and that it was for mum.
“It is difficult as she was only in her 50s and had so much of her life still to live. She was an amazing person and did everything for her family.
“You hope most families will not have to go through what we went through but what Pilgrims do is incredible.”
IT consultant Scott is now running 80km a week in preparation for the 26,2mile marathon on April 23.
In the lead up he will also run the London and Whitstable half marathons.