It’s very rare that I post anything these days, but this is something that’s definitely worth mentioning and it’s about someone who is and always will be very close to my heart.
As a reader of this blog, my book or even the Flickr photos, you will have come across Sue in many of my articles and pages. Sue and Diesel (her crazy adorable rescue dog) were essential to the success of my walk. She helped me assess my initial fitness and designed a training program based on her long-distance running experience. She has also provided me with a huge amount of support, fundraising, advice and general entertainment, particularly across Scotland where she joined me for over a week in Morvern and Ardnamurchan, rallied her friends to drive my bus and hosted me at her home near Aberdeen. She also joined me for an extra week along the North East coast of England, comforting me when I was having a bad day and visiting me whenever she could. Sue has covered more miles with me than anyone else and by a very large margin. Her little legs easily kept pace with mine, and if it had been possible, she would have dropped everything to walk every one of those 5,045 miles with me.
Sue has always shamed me in many ways. Not only by being as fit as a butcher’s dog on performance-enhancing drugs, but also by being a much nicer person than I could ever be.
We met at Newcastle University in the 1980s, where we both studied geology in a small but close-knit class. Whether it was talking silly things together, sharing slightly nerdy interests, exchanging lots of affectionate jokes, or offering support and advice when life took a few worrying or awkward turns, Sue and I have always been close and best friends above all. It just wouldn’t be fair for me to post private feelings here, as we only really admitted them to each other a few years ago. But our story is a complicated 35-year story, underpinned by a mutual and misunderstood fear of recognizing affection beyond friendship. To some extent, our whole story would probably be half a reasonable romantic comedy – if it weren’t for the ending.
Sue suddenly became poor earlier this year and, to spare you the whole story, she sadly passed away after a short illness. His unexpected, untimely and completely unfair departure was felt by many, including his lovely daughters Steph and Abi, his mother Lena, his siblings David and Lesley, and his extended family and friends in Aberdeenshire and beyond. across the UK.
We also shared a good university friend who had links to the Spinal Injuries Association and Sue ran the 2016 London Marathon,
as if I had traveled the coast to help raise money for them. She wasn’t slow either and completed it in a very impressive time of 4 hours 11 minutes, while still believing she could do better! She was a strong supporter of many charitable causes in many ways and was just an enthusiastic egg, approaching everything in life with optimism, natural friendliness and a big cheesy smile. She has completed numerous half marathons and marathons while trying to balance being a great mother and working hard to develop her career in Aberdeen before recently moving nearby to become a very successful group finance director. respected, honest, diligent and dedicated to Coventry University. .
Sue was planning to take part in the Great Aberdeen Run on August 26 and had chosen to run to support brain tumor research. Unfortunately, his brain tumor denied him the opportunity to run. However, in a few weeks her running partner, Caroline Inglis, Irene Bews and a large group of Sue’s friends from the University of Aberdeen will be doing a “Run for Sue” at the Great Aberdeen Run in support of the Brain Tumor Research charity.
As you read this, I hope you will click on one of the photos or links in the text nearby and perhaps offer your support to Caroline, Irene or any member of the University of Aberdeen team. I am fully aware that there are so many illnesses, injuries and cruel conditions that take away so many lovely people, but this one is particularly close to my heart and I hope you can find in yours the possibility to contribute and perhaps help those who are diagnosed with such a devastating illness.
Thank you for reading this far and I can only offer my most sincere thanks in advance if you manage to support Caroline, Irene and the team.
For “Ma Suze” – a huge warm and soft hug, as always and forever a team! x
Sue Richardson1963 – 2018
