CRAIG’S BLOG: Sharing emotional conversations and a love of the great outdoors

Craig Goldsworthy has set himself an incredible challenge to run every single day in 2023 to raise funds for St Catherine’s in memory of his friend, who was cared for by our community nursing team at her home.

He’s being joined by a guest runner each week, and is tackling all weathers in his mammoth fundraising feat for our charity! You can read his previous blogs here.

I’m almost at the half way point and I feel like I’m getting stronger day by day, although I wouldn’t have said that immediately after I posted my last blog!

Too many hills and not enough muscle maintenance took its toll on my glutes, walking was extremely painful and running was out of the question.

Luckily, it only lasted a week, and it gave me a fantastic opportunity to walk with a select few people (I said from the start I’d walk if I couldn’t run); two of whom had to give up running in recent years due to heart conditions, but still wanted to support my challenge.

We shared interesting conversations, some more emotional than others, but we all had something in common – a love for being outdoors.

As I write this, my fundraising running total (pardon the pun) has exceeded 500% and currently sits at £2,633 from the generosity of 92 supporters! I’m only a third of the way through, however I am hoping to reach 1000% by New Year’s Eve.

All 52 weeks have now been filled with people willing to join me for my weekly buddy run, and if the first leg of my epic journey is anything to go by, the next is going to be equally as exciting.

I’ll be running with life-long friends, brother-in-law and nephew and the one I’ve been looking forward to the most…my children!

As well as the excitement of running with some of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, it’s important to remember why I’m doing it. Raising money for an incredible charity, which relies on consistent donations to provide palliative and end-of-life care – alongside remembering someone quite special, taken too soon from the family she loved so much.

Below is a rundown of all the runners and walkers who laced up between February 27th – April 30th, not including the regular, weekly runners: Lee Walker and Matthew Waring.

Thank you and see you again at the end of June.

• If you would like to donate or write a message of encouragement to Craig, please click here

Week 9: Helen Jones, one of Michelle’s closest and loyal friends – 3.5 mile walk over the tops of Buckshaw
Joanne Sharp and Sharon Iddon – 4.5 mile walk through Worden Park, around the perimeter of Moss Side water treatment site

Week 10: Michelle Clapham – a frosty but scenic 3 mile Parkrun around Haigh Woodland in Wigan

Week 11: Red Roser John Carruthers – an evening 3.5 mile loop around the Langdale estate
Fellow Runsmart Challenges group member John Bunn – 3.25 mile out’n’back to Buckshaw

Week 12: Kyle Clarke and Declan Wood – 3 mile Langdale loop, snaking through the ginnels and snickets (call them what you like)
Garry Holdsworth – another 3 mile loop round the Langdale estate

Week 13: Michael Bingham – 3.5 mile route through Worden Park and Seven Stars

Week 14: Runsmartie Lee Grimshaw – 3 mile Langdale and Worden loop
David Moss – 3 mile Parkrun round Witton Park in Blackburn

Week 15: Daniel Riding – 3.5 mile trek past Leyland Hotel, under and over the M6 motorway
Calvin Wallace and Lucie Ward – St Andrew’s running kicked off again
Scott Ainge – 3 mile nostalgic run around the original Cuerden Valley Parkun route

Week 16: St Andrew’s Runners Calvin and Lucie – 3 mile Worden Park and Seven Stars loop
Jon Bond and Daniel Martin – 3 mile Liverpool Parkrun at Croxteth Hall

Week 17: Lou Hunter, Kara Wood and Jacqui Smith – 3.25 route around Cuerden and Whittle-le-Woods
Calvin and Lucie – up hill and down dale through Cuerden
Scott Ainge – 3.5 mile loop from Worden Park to Langdale via Euxton

Craig is a 48-year-old apprenticeships tutor from Leyland. He lives with his wife Helen and daughters Molly and Evie. His friend Michelle Walker lived in Leyland with her husband Lee and daughters Ava and Ella, and worked as an admin assistant at Progress Housing Group. She was cared for by St Catherine’s at home following a diagnosis of bowel cancer. 

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