Mobility supplier team laces up running shoes in memory of inspirational customer
A group from Delichon, a specialist manufacturer of custom wheelchair seating and all-terrain buggies, took part in a local park run in honour of lifelong runner Glenys Waters, a customer who recently passed away from ovarian cancer.
Diagnosed with ovarian and primary peritoneal cancer in 2015, Glenys used running as a way of showing her cancer who was in charge. When her hair fell out during treatment, she would lace up her trainers, don a brightly coloured wig and run 5k every Saturday morning.
Glenys and her husband Cliff turned to Delichon in February 2019 for help when she became too poorly to run, with the family company supplying her with a special running variant of its Delta All-Terrain buggy, enabling Glenys to continue to participate in her Saturday morning runs with her family and friends.
Sadly passing away three months ago, over 460 people took part in what would have been Glenys’ 250th park run and 71st birthday on the 29th June at Moors Valley in Dorset, including a contingent of the Delichon team.
Cliff Waters, Glenys’ husband, said: “The weather was amazing, if a little warm, and we all completed the 5k course with each of us getting an enthusiastic round of applause as we finished.
“Joining us on this momentous run were a team from Delichon, the company who supplied Glenys’ racing buggy for her to use when she was too unwell to run. The team have been inspired to join the park run community and have been regular runners at Moors Valley since meeting Glenys back in February this year.”
Honouring her memory, Glenys’ motivational mantra of “if I can, you can” was engraved into shoe tags and now a corner of the park run circuit has been dedicated to the inspirational runner for her legacy to live on.
Martin Davy, Managing Director of Delichon, said: “Glenys’ wish was to inspire others to be more active and we are trying to do what we can to share her remarkable story.”
Raising awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, which are often mistaken for symptoms of less serious conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the run saw participants wear teal to support Ovarian Cancer Action, the UK’s ovarian cancer research charity.
Cary Wakefield, Chief Executive of Ovarian Cancer Action, said: “Glenys was an inspiration to so many, as is evident by how many people ran in her memory on Saturday. Her legacy lives on in her community and her name will soon be at the centre of our research centre, providing daily inspiration to our scientists who are determined to stop women dying of ovarian cancer.”
