From Bristol to Paris: running for a cause
A Thornbury family is on a heartfelt mission to take part in next year’s Paris Marathon in memory of a late loved one, raising funds for the hospice who cared for him in his final weeks.
Megan Holmes, 26, is running in honour of her cousin Connor Walker, on behalf of St Peter’s Hospice to support their work providing compassionate end-of-life care.
She will be running alongside Connor’s brother Shane in the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris event on April 13 on a place allocation for St Peter’s Hospice.
Connor passed away on May 21 at his home, the Malthouse in Thornbury, aged 29, where he lived his mother, Julie Walker, and her partner, stepfather Mark Wilson, the pub’s former landlords.
Megan and Shane, 35, from Thornbury are raising money for St Peter’s Hospice to support the charity’s efforts in caring for patients and their families at the Hospice and within their own homes.
“I was flicking through the Hospice website for ways to raise money, wondering what I could do, and spotted the Paris Marathon entry.
“It immediately struck a chord with me because I knew Connor, who I always called Con, had been to Paris and had loved it and running a marathon’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
“So, I texted his brother Shane to see if he was up for it and he said, ‘yeah go on then’, and we were away!”
In 2021, Connor and two friends drove from Bristol to Paris in his transit van to attend the Paris Supercross motocross show, making a memorable stop on the way home to ride the iconic Loon-Plage beach motocross track in Dunkirk.
“They had all sorts of adventures – driving round and round the Arc de Triomphe, accidentally dining at a posh restaurant and nearly bankrupting themselves and getting lost and waking up in a dodgy part of town.
“It was his last holiday before he got ill, and it brought him such joy. To run the Paris Marathon in his memory feels like the perfect way to honour him.”
Connor, who leaves a son, Lucas, aged six, was diagnosed with melanoma shortly after returning from Paris; sadly, after a brief remission following treatment, the disease returned.
“He was really against going into a hospice. He just wanted to be at home,” added Megan, who lives in Frampton Cotterell.
“Con’s mum looked after him round the clock and when the time came reached out to St Peter’s Hospice for support at home. It was like the peace in a storm. They were incredible.
“Once they started coming to the house, it gave her some much-needed help and provided support for the rest of the family.
“It was comforting to have someone outside the family whom we could talk to about Con in a calm way and provide a shoulder to lean on.
"Even something as simple as making cups of tea for the many people who came to see him took a weight off the family's shoulders.”
Connor was honoured at his funeral with around 60 motorbikes circling Thornbury, shutting down the high street, while the service itself was packed, spilling outside.
Looking back on her cousin’s life, Megan says when not at work, Connor was most often to be found in his garage fixing up a car or a motorbike.
“He was someone everybody knew in Thornbury. A real character. The life and soul of the party. A cheeky chappie but someone who would do anything for anybody.
“He always loved pulling things apart and putting them back together again. There wasn’t anything he
couldn’t fix.
“He also adored animals. Over the years he has so many of them – ferrets, rats, guinea pigs, chickens, snakes and budgies. – and had a real affinity for them. Though they did drive his mum up the wall sometimes!”
Looking ahead to next year’s Paris marathon, Megan knows the race is going to be tough but says she will be drawing upon Connor for inspiration as she and Shane take on the streets of Paris.
“It sounds soppy and silly, but when I’m training and it gets hard, I look up at the sky and it gives me the strength to push through and helps me remember why I’m doing it.”
To donate to Megan and Shane’s fundraising efforts you can visit their Justgiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/team/megandshane
