11th May 2023

Zeena Moolla

Zeena is running the 10k in memory of her dad, who sadly died of heart failure on Christmas Eve last year.

She said: “Life without him has been horribly unmoored. The pain is immense because the love was. It still is. Will always be.

“I’m running this 10k because like a lot of grieving people, I need the distraction/could do with some mental health support/don’t know what else to do/all of the above. But also because I want to commit something to my loving Papa’s memory. Something that takes me hideously out of my comfort zone and reflects just how much he meant to me.

“Seriously, I rarely run for a bus, an ice cream van maybe, so I’m quite terrified about doing this.”

“The staff at the Bristol Heart Institute took the time to see my dad for the amazing man he was and offer comforting, honest words that really meant a lot to me. When there are strangers who, in a short space of time and with limited resources, see the person beyond the patient and comprehend their significance it makes a massive difference.”

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Jess Thompsett

Jess is running the 10k in memory of her baby girl Beatrix. Jess and her wife Victoria were due to have identical twin girls in 2020 but found out at Christmas 2019 that she was going to lose both girls.

With the use of the 4D scanner at the Foetal Medicine Unit at St Michael’s Hospital, funded by Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity, doctors were able to save one twin, Violet.

Jess said: “Hearing the devastating news that we were going to lose our girls at Christmas 2019, through to having laser ablation on their placenta in January 2020, and then hearing Beatrix had passed and, most probably, Violet would be unwell if she made it through to a live birth – our lives stopped and we lived day by day hoping they’d pull through.

“Without St Michael’s Hospital Foetal Medicine Unit, Violet would not be with us.

“Although Beatrix passed and we do miss her terribly, we are blessed with Violet who is a happy and healthy bundle of energy.

“Running this 10k will give back to the hospital which gave so much to us.”

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We want to say a big thank you to everyone running for our hospitals in the 10k and half marathon. We'll be there cheering you on - give us a wave!

If you're looking for your next challenge, visit our events page to find out what's coming up.