As you are aware I have been taking time away and you have all been very patient. My father was diagnosed in June and we were told that it was terminal within 36 hours, he didn’t want the details made publicly as we faced it together as a family. Thank you to everyone who allowed me to be a little slower in those times when I went off grid and the understanding that there was something happening that was bigger than anything you may need.
As time progressed it was simply sitting, chatting, making memories, sharing memories and having those conversations that people ask to have the chance to have.
The timing of his diagnosis was shortly before I made the step to create Integr8Archery. Absolutely no greater supporter of this than my dad. Chatting about what I wanted to achieve, how I wanted to achieve it, and details of everything I was doing and celebrating my successes.
He had been incredibly supportive of the various projects in the last 3 years and had been especially supportive of the charity that we had looked to create, the idea of doing amazing work in memory of your father really hit home to my dad, who family had such meaning for. He had some great ideas of how to help us get funding there.
In the absence of that project he got behind my “little business” as he always called it with a smile on his face 🙃 he was thrilled to read the week 26 update of what we had achieved in the first 26 weeks. I am so pleased he was able to share that progress just last week.
I shall, without a doubt, miss my amazing father who never doubted me, always supported me and always listened as I threw around ideas and was always happy to share his perspective, it’s always good to have an outsider’s view.
I ask you now for 2 things:
- Your patience for a little while longer as, over the next few weeks, my family and I deal with all that our loss brings. I will answer and arrange things, and I am grateful to my supportive team who will be helping me keep things moving, but things may be a little slower than usual as other things take priority.
- If you have a concern, a small niggle, anything that you may be worried about health wise, go to your doctor and keep going, my dad had worried and didn’t push maybe like he might. I don’t blame the NHS – we are incredibly grateful to all of the staff who have been involved in his care. Had he pushed, things might have been different but my point is, don’t take the chance, it might be scary, but push and keep pushing. If nothing else comes from this, our family’s latest battle with this horrible disease, let it be that you push for your health and we don’t loose you sooner than we need to.
I have lost one of my heroes, one of my greatest supporters – the man it was my privilege to call pop pops – my father.
