“Dementia doesn’t affect everybody the same way, and I wrongly assumed that it was dad’s memory that would go and soon he wouldn’t know who I was; but that couldn’t be any further from the truth.”
Meet Paul Butcher, 60, the part-time Sales Assistant at Rugby Heaven and Moti, completing 10 marathons in 10 days in support of Dementia Hwb Swansea.
“I initially completed the Ten in Ten (10 Marathons in 10 Days Challenge) in 2018, the year that my dad passed away from vascular dementia. I raised money for Dementia Uk and the driving force was wanting something positive to focus on.
“Dementia doesn’t affect everybody the same way and I wrongly assumed that it was dad’s memory that would go and very soon he wouldn’t know who I was, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Dad’s memory was as sharp as a tack even within six months of him passing away. For dad, it affected him in other ways.
“The difficult thing was people would stop going to see him because they assumed that he wouldn’t know who they were. But if you’d have walked in the door a week before he passed away, he would have known who you were.
“As we approach the tenth anniversary of dad’s diagnosis, I thought I’ll go back and do another Ten in Ten. For me, the biggest driver now is making sure that people have a better understanding rather than just an assumption that you’re going to lose the person due to memory.
“This time I’m supporting the Dementia Hwb at the Quadrant as I think it’s so important to have somewhere to go other than the GP or the hospital, that’s neutral ground. Nobody’s going to judge you. If you want to feel like you can just go and have a chat and get some information or just have somebody to talk to you, that might be the most important thing. I know they’re a lifeline for so many!
“I’ve been running marathons now across Europe and America for the past 16 years and have run over 150, averaging about ten a year. I try to find a marathon every month, and one marathon is basically the preparation for the next, but I don’t race all of them. Most of them are pretty much a bit of a jog and a social but I’ll pick two or three in a year, which I’ll actually race in to try and get a better time for London or Boston or one of the big marathons.
“I retired four years ago and now I work weekends at Rugby Heaven helping customers improve their running and not to make the same mistakes that I made, which is what it’s all about.
“It doesn’t really feel like a job and it’s quite a nice way to spend your weekends. I spend most of my day doing gait analysis, getting people on the treadmill, getting them the right running shoes and basically ensure that when they go out the door, they’re happy that they’ve made the purchase in the right place.
“I came across the Dementia Hwb when they visited our store for some support for an upcoming event, and I’m proud that we are now we’re working together on this challenge in December. It also means a lot that Moti and Rugby Heaven are providing me with a running kit and supporting me to complete the challenge.
“To anyone unsure about heading in, I’d say to them that it might just be a five-minute chat, but that might make all the difference in the world for that person and what’s going on in their lives.
“That first step is the most difficult. And I think initially when people do get diagnosed, they often feel that they’re not that bad now and they don’t need to worry about it, but the sooner you get support, the better.”
Donate to Paul’s fundraiser here.