A mum-of-two and her two-year-old daughter will be among those taking part in the Thanet Colour Run this October.
Zoe McAdam, 32, and her two-year-old daughter Ethel-Grace, will join the event on the green at Palm Bay in memory of Zoe’s dad, Eugene, and to raise funds for Pilgrims Hospices, which cared for him in 2018.
Zoe said: “Dad was only 51 when he died. From his diagnosis on May 8 to his death on June 29, it was just seven weeks. Everything happened so quickly.
“Dad spent some time in hospital but his wish was to come home to us all. He spent a couple of weeks following this at Pilgrims Hospice to help stabilise and manage his pain and ensure he was as comfortable as possible.
“He’d been so low before arriving at Pilgrims, but the team brought back his smile — and that little twinkle in his eye. After a couple of weeks, he came home again to be with us all. That time together meant everything.”
Zoe admits that after her dad’s passing, she didn’t fully understand how to grieve: “I rushed back to work, thinking I just had to get on with things. But months later, it hit me hard. No one really tells you what to do with that kind of sadness.”
Now, with her oldest daughter, who was named after her family’s grandparents and great-grandparents, Zoe is celebrating her dad’s memory in the most joyful, colourful way.
She said: “We talk to Ethel-Grace about her grandad all the time. She knows exactly why we’re doing the Colour Run — she says, ‘We’re raising money for the people who helped Grandad.’ She can’t wait to be covered in colour and ‘look like a rainbow!’”
Zoe jokes that her fitness prep has mostly involved chasing after her toddler and looking after her one-year-old Amber-Rose, at home.
She added: ““I might not have trained, but I think I’ll be just about ready! It’s going to be such a special day for us.”
You can be part of the Colour Run too
Whether you walk, jog or sprint — every step brings care and comfort to families across east Kent. Join the Thanet 5K Colour Run on Sunday 5 October at Palm Bay Green, Palm Bay Avenue, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 3NR. Register to take part here: www.pilgrimshospices.org/colourrun
Get ready for colour blasts, loads of colour and a special colour run medal on finishing. Or, if you’d prefer to cheer from the sidelines…
Support Zoe and Ethel-Grace’s colourful journey by sponsoring their JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/page/mummy-ethel-grace-25
Good luck to Zoe and Ethel-Grace.