A MAN who spent a year training for four marathons in memory of his beloved aunt rounded off the gruelling 12 months with a lap around the town where she was cared for.
Following the passing of his aunt Sahar in March 2021, Sami Dabbagh challenged himself to a year of fundraising in her honour, starting with a half-marathon around St Helens and Liverpool on the first anniversary of her passing.
As Sami now works for Unilever in Stockholm, he trained himself up to complete four Nordic marathons in just over four months last year, racing in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Oslo.
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Witnessing the "incredible" round-the-clock care that Macmillan and Willowbrook Hospice nurses gave to his aunt after she was diagnosed with terminal bile duct cancer, Sami began fundraising for Macmillan as well as the Palestinian Children Relief Fund, which was a charity close to her heart.
After doubling his fundraising target on two occasions and raising more than £13,500 for his chosen charities, Sami closed the chapter on his year dedicated to Sahar's memory last month, completing a second half-marathon on the second anniversary of her passing.
The final act of his epic challenge saw Sami passing through poignant checkpoints such as her grave, as well as Willowbrook Hospice and the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool, where she was cared for in her final months.
Sami, 31, said: "I thought the final half marathon would be a nice way to finish the year of fundraising and bring closure to the whole experience, because it did feel a little weird when I finished the final marathon.
"It was still very difficult but it was a way to thank all the people who supported me and donated throughout the year, as I didn't want [the fundraiser] to just disappear without saying anything.
"I know there are lots of things going on around the world and people are struggling with the cost of living crisis, so to see people supporting you, and the fact that we doubled our fundraising target twice, makes it very special.
"I've been running the St Helens parkrun while I've been back at my parent's house, and you can really feel that good sense of community.
"So it was really nice to finish the year in St Helens [...] and I'm very grateful for all the support I have had."
To donate towards Sami's fundraising following his year of challenges, you can do so here.
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