My mum and I will be running the Great North Run for the second time in memory of my Nana, Maureen. She passed away from frontotemporal dementia in 2024, just a month before the first time we ran this event together. I am now studying for a PhD at the University of Oxford, focussing on frontotemporal dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Why I’m Fundraising for Alzheimer’s 💜

I’ve been married to Tim for 35 years. We’ve shared a lifetime of memories, adventures, laughter, family and all the ups and downs that life brings. I never imagined that, at just 61, Tim would be diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

The last three years have been some of the toughest of our lives. Alzheimer’s has changed so much of our everyday life and taken away parts of the man I’ve known and loved for so long. There are days filled with frustration, sadness and uncertainty, and moments when I miss the Tim I remember so very much.

But strangely, these have also been some of the best three years.

We’ve learned to slow down and appreciate the little things. A walk together, a laugh, a swim, a beautiful view, a holiday, or simply sitting together can feel more precious than ever. We’ve discovered that even when memories fade, love doesn’t.

I’m fundraising for Alzheimer’s because families like ours need better support, greater understanding and, ultimately, a future where no one has to face this devastating disease without hope.

This September, I’m taking on the challenge of swimming 10 miles in 30 days to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s.

I’m doing it for Tim, for the man he is, for the wonderful 35 years we’ve shared, and for all the families living with Alzheimer’s every single day.

Every length I swim is for him. 💜🏊‍♀️

Thank you for supporting me and helping make a difference

I am walking for my beautiful mum who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 62 and she had it for 11 years she was the most loving person in this world and would do anything for anyone. I miss her so very much I’m praying they find a cure for this horrible disease.

My mom was diagnosed in 2009 and we cared for her at home for 7 years and she died on my birthday in Dec 2016.
This year marks 10years in passing so this race is for mum and all those other families touched by this disease

I am walking for my mum who i lost 8 years ago to this horrible illness ,always in my thoughts

I will be running the Great North Run this Sunday with my friend Amy. We have formed a team called Daughters Against Alzheimers. My mum sadly passed away last year after battling Alzheimer’s for almost 10 years and Amy’s mum passed away in 2020 after battling mixed dementia/alzheimers.
We want to raise awareness of the disease and get people talking about it so symptoms are not accepted as signs of getting older and make more places dementia friendly. We want to help the impact a diagnosis has on the extended family but most of all we don’t want our children to go through what we have. People do not understand how hard it is to watch someone you love disappear whilst they are still breathing.
For 2026 we have chosen to do a 12 month challenge (a different one a month) The GNR will be our 9th challenge. So far this year we have participated in Alzheimer Society treks in the Yorkshire Dales and Whitby. We have climbed up Scafell Pike and we have walked 40000 steps in a day just to name a few. Whatever activity we do and whichever friends join us along the way we always do it with a smile on our faces and wearing a tutu and always for our mums 💙

Minds matter.

So I'm putting mind over matter across 13 miles, for the people that (literally) can't.

I feel like the first thing to say is that I am not a runner. I've never run more than 5km and that was 10 years ago.
I signed up for this while we were making the most of the time we had left with Sheila Rawson, Ronald's GG (Great Gran). She was someone who, particularly on my weekly maternity leave visits, I became very close to. She was my friend and was genuinely interested and invested in my life and family, past and present.
I'd only known her since 2015, by which point she had her 5 grandchildren and 2 of her great grandchildren (which grew to 8 (almost 9)). I never spent any day with her without conversations about, or updates on all of them, whether they were near or far. Showing me photos and telling me the latest news from around the country and world. I honestly believe if you'd asked her which phases of her life were her favourites, her grandparent phase would be up there.
She wasn't keen on the name GG when I created it ("I'm not a horse!"). But then.. when those little people that she absolutely adored started saying it ("what's in GGs cupboard... tickle me GG... thanks for the ice cream GG").. well, she loved it as much as she loved them.
Thank you Sheila, for your GG era.
This is for you and all the families affected by Alzheimer's.

Running the Great North Run for my Grandma Margie ❤️ someone incredibly special to me.
Grandma Margie is living with Alzheimer’s disease, and watching someone you love be affected by this cruel illness is something that is incredibly difficult to put into words. Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect the person living with it; it affects their family, their memories, their relationships and all those who love them.
My Grandma has given our family so many precious memories, and now I want to do something in her honour.
So, I’m swapping the comfort of the sofa for 13.1 miles around the North East! 🏃‍♀️💙
The Great North Run is going to be a huge challenge for me, but every difficult mile will have a purpose. When my legs are tired and I’m wondering why I ever signed up, I’ll think of Grandma Margie and remind myself why I’m doing this.
I’m hoping to raise as much money as possible to support research, care and, ultimately, the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. I dream of a future where families don’t have to watch the people they love slowly lose their memories and parts of who they are.
For every mile, every step and every aching muscle… I’ll be doing it for you, Grandma Margie. ❤️

Running the Great North Run in Memory of Terri

My name is Gary, and on Sunday 13th September I’ll be taking on the Great North Run to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, in memory of my late mother-in-law, Terri Wallace.

Terri’s journey with dementia began in the summer of 2021.

Terri had been living with diabetes for over 20 years, one day, she fainted outside the doctors’ surgery near her home in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. She had suffered a severe hypoglycaemic attack and was unconscious for several minutes. By the time she regained consciousness, her brain had been starved of oxygen.

At first, we hoped it was simply an isolated incident. But over the following weeks and months, we began noticing changes in Terri. She became increasingly confused by things that had once been simple, everyday tasks. In September 2021, she saw her doctor, and after further assessment she was diagnosed with vascular dementia, with the hypoglycaemic episode considered a probable contributing factor.

Initially, the deterioration was relatively slow. But within a year, the changes were heartbreaking.

Terri could no longer read or write. Sometimes she would speak, but what she was saying no longer made sense. Things she had once loved doing became impossible, and memories of people, places and experiences that had been such an important part of her life slowly disappeared.

Watching someone you love lose pieces of themselves is incredibly difficult. There is a phrase often used by families affected by dementia: you lose your loved one many times before you lose them for good.

And sadly, that is exactly how it felt.

In late November 2024, Terri had another devastating setback. While getting off a bus with my father-in-law, she fell and broke her hip. She was taken to Colchester General Hospital, where she underwent surgery to have pins inserted into her hip.

Before the operation, Terri was in relatively good spirits. She was eating and, considering everything she had been through, seemed as well as could reasonably be expected.

But after the operation, things began to change.

Terri’s health gradually deteriorated. She stopped eating properly and, when she did manage to eat, she was often sick. December was spent in hospital as doctors tried to understand what was happening and why she was becoming increasingly unwell.

Then, on Christmas Eve, we received the devastating news.

Doctors discovered that Terri had a perforated bowel. By this point, she was extremely ill, and sepsis had taken hold.

We gathered around her bedside on Christmas Eve. We stayed with her, hoping and praying that the powerful antibiotics she had been given would help her fight the infection.

In the early hours of Christmas morning, we eventually went home. At that point, it looked as though Terri might just be beginning to fight her way through the sepsis.

But very early on Christmas morning, we received the phone call no family ever wants to receive.

Terri’s vital signs were dropping rapidly.

We immediately made our way back to the hospital, but sadly, we didn’t make it in time.

Terri passed away on Christmas Day, 25th December 2024.

Christmas has never really been the same since.

Terri’s battle with dementia had already taken so much from her. It had taken away abilities, memories and pieces of the person she had once been. But despite everything, she was still Terri — a much-loved wife, mum, mother-in-law, and friend.

That is why I’m running the Great North Run.

I’m not just running 13.1 miles. I’m running for Terri. I’m running for everyone living with dementia today, and for all the families who are watching someone they love slowly disappear behind the disease.

And I’m running to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, so that hopefully one day other families won’t have to experience the same heartbreak that we did.

Every mile I run will have a reason.

Every painful step will be worth it.

And when I cross that finish line in Newcastle, I’ll know that Terri was with me every step of the way.

This one’s for you, Terri. ❤️

I’m supporting Alzheimer’s for my mother in law who was diagnosed 18months ago. The recent struggles we’ve been facing as a family have been challenging, frustrating and upsetting but we still manage to have some smiles and laughter on the good days. We’re hoping for many more good days but realise this will inevitably decline over time.
I’m cycling the London to Brighton challenge to show my support for a great charity and hoping one day a cure will be available for this cruel disease.