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| Thea Davies in 415 mile challenge for Stephen Healey | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| When Thea Davies finishes the Chester marathon on Sunday it will not be the end of a race so much as a labour of love. | When Thea Davies finishes the Chester marathon on Sunday it will not be the end of a race so much as a labour of love. |
| It is her 10th marathon to raise funds in memory of her partner Stephen Healey from Cardiff. | It is her 10th marathon to raise funds in memory of her partner Stephen Healey from Cardiff. |
| Capt Healey was the 415th UK serviceman to die in Afghanistan, killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand in 2012. | |
| Ms Davies, from Pembrokeshire, vowed to run 415 miles, a goal she will achieve. | Ms Davies, from Pembrokeshire, vowed to run 415 miles, a goal she will achieve. |
| Capt Healey, a former Swansea City apprentice, was commanding his platoon in the 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers). from a lead vehicle when it ran over and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in May 2012. | |
| "For the first couple of months after Steve died I didn't know what to do. I just moped around," said Ms Davies. | "For the first couple of months after Steve died I didn't know what to do. I just moped around," said Ms Davies. |
| Blindfolded sponsored walk | Blindfolded sponsored walk |
| "Eventually the padre who repatriated Steve - who co-incidentally is also Steve - took me to watch the Olympics, completely reluctantly at the time. | "Eventually the padre who repatriated Steve - who co-incidentally is also Steve - took me to watch the Olympics, completely reluctantly at the time. |
| "I already knew I wanted to do some sort of fundraising for Steve's favourite charity, | "I already knew I wanted to do some sort of fundraising for Steve's favourite charity, |
| "And I knew it had to have a symbolic significance. But it wasn't until I watched the Brownlees winning gold and bronze in the triathlon that the idea of running 415 miles came to me." | "And I knew it had to have a symbolic significance. But it wasn't until I watched the Brownlees winning gold and bronze in the triathlon that the idea of running 415 miles came to me." |
| Capt Healey fundraised for Blind Veterans UK because it supported soldiers who had lost their sight through IED explosions in Afghanistan. | Capt Healey fundraised for Blind Veterans UK because it supported soldiers who had lost their sight through IED explosions in Afghanistan. |
| Before his last tour he organised a blindfolded sponsored walk to its rehabilitation and training centre in Llandudno, Conwy. | Before his last tour he organised a blindfolded sponsored walk to its rehabilitation and training centre in Llandudno, Conwy. |
| Ms Davies' year of running has seen her raise about £14,000 for the charity. | Ms Davies' year of running has seen her raise about £14,000 for the charity. |
| Chief executive Robert Leader said her support has been inspirational. | Chief executive Robert Leader said her support has been inspirational. |
| "At a time of enormous personal tragedy for her she chose to take up Stephen's mantle and continue the amazing work that he had done to support ex-servicemen and women, blinded both in action and later life. | "At a time of enormous personal tragedy for her she chose to take up Stephen's mantle and continue the amazing work that he had done to support ex-servicemen and women, blinded both in action and later life. |
| "We owe both her and Stephen a huge debt of gratitude and what they have done for our people will never be forgotten". | "We owe both her and Stephen a huge debt of gratitude and what they have done for our people will never be forgotten". |
| Her feat has seen her compete in 20 races - 10Ks, half and full-length marathons, triathlons, and even a half-iron man event. | Her feat has seen her compete in 20 races - 10Ks, half and full-length marathons, triathlons, and even a half-iron man event. |
| 'Very emotional' | 'Very emotional' |
| Completing the challenge in Chester will also be highly significant. | Completing the challenge in Chester will also be highly significant. |
| "I hadn't planned it all the way along that the challenge would finish in Chester, but I'm extremely glad that it's worked out that way. | "I hadn't planned it all the way along that the challenge would finish in Chester, but I'm extremely glad that it's worked out that way. |
| "As well as Steve's regiment being based here in the Dale Barracks, two years ago Chester was the first marathon Steve dragged me around, just over six months before he died." | "As well as Steve's regiment being based here in the Dale Barracks, two years ago Chester was the first marathon Steve dragged me around, just over six months before he died." |
| With the end of this challenge, she is already planning her next project. | With the end of this challenge, she is already planning her next project. |
| "It suddenly struck me a few weeks ago that it's nearly all over. That panicked me a bit - it certainly made me very emotional because the running has been my way of coping with it all I suppose." | "It suddenly struck me a few weeks ago that it's nearly all over. That panicked me a bit - it certainly made me very emotional because the running has been my way of coping with it all I suppose." |
| "I'm so grateful to everyone who's supported me throughout. Not just my family, but also Blind Veterans UK, and particularly the thousands of ordinary people who've donated and given me such a sense of purpose." | "I'm so grateful to everyone who's supported me throughout. Not just my family, but also Blind Veterans UK, and particularly the thousands of ordinary people who've donated and given me such a sense of purpose." |
| "This was for Steve, but the next challenge is for myself. I'm off to New Zealand next year to take part in an ultra iron man event," she said. | "This was for Steve, but the next challenge is for myself. I'm off to New Zealand next year to take part in an ultra iron man event," she said. |