A woman from Carmarthen will be running the ABP Newport Wales Marathon in memory of her father who tragically died while climbing Yr Wydffa (Snowdon).
Anwen Davies will also be raising money for Cartrefi Cymru, the learning disability support provider, where her dad volunteered.
Her father Ceri, who worked as a vicar in the Church of Wales, was just 57 when he sadly passed away at the summit of Yr Wydffa (Mount Snowdon) in September 2019. He was on his way to completing the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge when he collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest.
The 24-year-old survival equipment specialist for the RAF said: “I was 19 at the time and although a few years have passed it still feels quite raw.
“He’d hiked up Cadair Idris on the Thursday, was doing Snowdon on the Friday and I was going to join him to hike up Pen-Y-Fan on the Saturday. Me, my mum, Ruth, and my sisters were waiting for him to come home but it wasn’t until 10pm that we found out what had happened. In that moment our lives completely changed.”
The family found out that when Ceri collapsed there was a group of cyclists from Essex nearby who tried to resuscitate him and grabbed the defibrillator from the café. They managed to wave down a mountain rescue helicopter that was circling the summit but sadly he was pronounced dead on the mountain.
Anwen who is elder sister to Menna, 22, Rachel, 21, and Bethany, 19, said: “It was a complete shock. He was a very physically fit man – we’d ran the Cardiff Half Marathon together just two years before – so we didn’t think something like this would ever happen to him.”
After being drafted overseas for the past two years, Anwen is now challenging herself to complete the ABP Newport Wales Marathon on Sunday 28th April in memory of her dad.
She said: “My father was the most humble, kind, generous and forgiving man. You couldn’t fault him. He always put others before himself and wouldn’t judge a soul. He passed away unafraid of his limits and I wish to follow in his footsteps and take on the challenge of running a marathon. This will be my first marathon and I wanted to do it this year as it’s the first time I’m going to be stationed in the UK since his death.
“He completed the London Marathon in the 90s and I’d like to think that doing this would make him proud. He was such a role model for me, and it gives me massive motivation. I’m so inspired by the way he always challenged himself and I want to emulate his determination.”
Matt Newman, Chief Executive at event organisers Run 4 Wales, added: “We never fail to be inspired by the participants in our events. Anwen is a remarkable woman who is doing something positive in the face of adversity and we’re sure her father would be incredibly proud of her. We’re looking forward to cheering her around the course alongside her family and celebrating her achievement at the finish line.”
The ABP Newport Wales Marathon takes place on Sunday 28thApril and will be joined by a 10K and new half marathon distance. To enter or find out more visit: newportwalesmarathon.co.uk/ or to help Anwen reach her fundraising goal for Cartrefi Cymru visit her page here.
