A 23-year-old woman from Swansea will be running the Ogi Porthcawl 10K in memory of her mum who died suddenly in November 2022.
Tam Altimimi will also be raising money for Mind after the charity supported her through the tragedy.
She said: “Porthcawl is a very special place for us as mum brought me here a lot growing up. I wanted my first ever race to be somewhere that is meaningful and I strongly believe mum will be with me every step of the way.”
Tam’s mum Karen was just 54 when she first started feeling unwell in November 2022.
Tam, who is the youngest of four siblings, said: “Mum started deteriorating on the Wednesday and progressively got worse, so that Friday her partner called for an ambulance. They were called three or four times during the day but they were overrun and mum wasn’t deemed a high priority. It wasn’t until 10pm that night that they arrived, but sadly she passed away shortly afterwards.
“I was at my partner’s house at the time and when my dad heard the news he called me to say I needed to come home. I immediately knew something was wrong and when I got to the house he told me everything.”
Tam, who works as a teaching assistant, now also volunteers as a community first responder.
She said: “Mum’s death is one of the reasons why I’ve become a community first responder. I don’t blame the ambulance service and know what happened was just an unfortunate event, but I do like to know that I have the skills to be able to get to someone and help them.
“Thinking ‘what if?’ is one of those stages of grief you have to go through – and I think it’s something I’ll go through for the rest of my life. Mum wasn’t there at my graduation, she won’t be at my wedding, won’t get to meet my children. It’s something I’m trying to work through.
“But while what happened to her was a horrific tragedy, I don’t like to think of it like that. She was such a happy and jolly person and was always so positive. She loved photography and worked in the canteen at the Prince Philip Hospital. She loved interacting with the patients, and everyone knew her around the hospital. It had a massive impact when she passed and there’s now a section of the hospital dedicated to her.”
While Tam has run over the years, she wanted her first running event to be somewhere meaningful to her – which is why she chose to enter the Ogi Porthcawl 10K.
She said: “I was looking for a 10K in a sentimental place, when I discovered the Ogi Porthcawl 10K. My mum often took me to the town and we’d walk along the promenade, look around the shops or have coffee at one of the cafes – it was really nice to have that quality time together.
“One of my fondest memories is of riding a donkey on the beach – and I still regularly look at the picture mum took.”
She added: “All my family and close friends will be coming to Porthcawl to support me and I know it will be very emotional for us on the day. I’ll also be raising money for Mind which helped me a lot when she passed.”
Matt Newman, Chief Executive at event organisers Run 4 Wales, added: “The runners who take part in our events are so inspiring and Tam is no exception. We can’t wait to cheer her around the course as she raises money in her mum’s memory.”
