A mum-of-two will be running the Ogi Porthcawl 10K in July for her firefighter husband and for her children to help keep their daddy’s memory alive.
Amy Griffiths will not only be raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity but will also be spending time at Rest Bay with her family – the place where they spread her husband, Stuie’s, ashes.
Amy said: “Stuie was a Firefighter for South Wales Fire and Rescue. He was an incredible person, and the best dad. He was the ‘DIY’ man with the biggest smile, a real keen runner and cyclist.”
Stuie Griffiths tragically died after falling from a bridge in Pontyclun while walking home with his best friend on 16 June 2021
Amy said: “I was at home and the girls were in bed fast asleep. I sent Stuie a text but it didn’t go through. I then saw an air ambulance go over the house but didn’t think anything of it. A few minutes later I had a phone call to say that he’d had an accident at the bottom of our road.
“I went down to see what was going on but wasn’t allowed anywhere near the site, so I decided to go back home. Then around 9.30pm I saw the police walking up to the house and I just knew it wasn’t good news.”
Stuie had suffered a cardiac arrest. Medics were unable to revive him. He was just 38.
Amy said: “Our daughters were just 20 months and five years old when Stuie died. While the youngest was too young to understand, telling our eldest daughter what had happened to her dad the next day was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
She has since had to move from their Pontyclun home to Hereford to be near her family, as she was reminded of the tragedy that happened at the bottom of their road each day.
The 39-year-old examinations officer said: “Stuie died a couple of days before Father’s Day, our wedding anniversary and two weeks before our eldest turned six. These dates are now all about the girls and celebrating daddy. We’ll plan things to remember him like having a day in the life of daddy, releasing balloons, going to his memorial bench and do all the things he used to like doing. We take lots of pictures and remember him.”
One of Stuie’s favourite places was Rest Bay in Porthcawl, which is why the family decided to spread his ashes there.
Amy said: “Every time it was a hot day Stuie always wanted to go to Rest Bay, he loved it there. The girls know it as daddy’s special place and that’s why I wanted to run the Ogi Porthcawl 10K.”
The Ogi Porthcawl 10K takes place on Sunday 7 July and Amy will be running to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity.
Matt Newman, Chief Executive at event organisers Run 4 Wales, added: “The runners who take part in our events are so inspiring and Amy is no exception. We can’t wait to cheer her around the course as she raises money in Stuie’s memory.”
