NHS nurses are known for going the extra mile in their line of work but at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, one nurse decided to go further.
Katie Holmstrom, who has worked for the trust’s Living Well Service in this area for four years and describes herself as a “just an ordinary person”, completed the Marathon des Sables, a 155-mile, six-day ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert.
She raised £6,000 for Dementia Research and Alzheimer’s UK in the process.
The Marathon des Sables is roughly the equivalent of six marathons, across six stages in exceptionally challenging conditions in the Moroccan Sahara.
Temperatures can range between 35 and 52 degrees Celsius. Participants have to be entirely self-sufficient, carrying their own food and equipment, with organisers providing only water and shelter. The race’s fifth stage includes a 100km long-day stage that often runs overnight.
Ms Holmstrom said: “Taking part in the race had always been a long-term personal ambition of mine, but I never really thought people like me did it. But I’ve always enjoyed running and have completed a couple of marathons, namely the London marathon 25 years ago and the Snowdonia Half Marathon more recently.
“So I’ve run for years and so I suddenly thought, maybe I can do this? Plus, I’m 64 and I thought I might as well give it a go and do it for all of the ‘invisible’ over-60 females out there to show we can still achieve things.”
She explained: “Once I’d set my mind on taking part, the charities I chose were obvious. My mum died with Alzheimer’s disease, and I’d always wanted to do something positive to help further efforts to support and treat those with the condition.
“It really was a huge motivating factor once I’d decided to take part.” She said the two charities that she chose to run for were exceptionally close to her heart.
“A lot of people don’t realise the emotional and practical impact that dementia can have on people who live with the condition and their families. I’ve known personally two people with dementia and it is really challenging. My mum was physically fine and thankfully didn’t lose speech. But she couldn’t remember one minute to next and was unable to live safely independently.
“My mother-in-law, on the other hand, did lose speech, and did not recognise her family. Caring for her was exceptionally challenging.
“My hope is that raising money for research will help improve early diagnosis, support independent living, develop treatments and technologies and also enable better support for families and carers.”
Now, she is back at the day job, working for the CWP Living Well Service, a mobile service that provides health checks and mental well-being support on a drop-in basis to communities across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Emma Green, clinical manager for the Living Well Service, said: “We are so proud of Katie and her amazing achievement in completing the Marathon Des Sables. It really is an incredible testament to her courage and commitment.
“She is also an exceptionally caring nurse who is a tremendous asset to our team. The way she cares for patients who come to our service is exceptional, so none of us were surprised to hear that she’d completed this extraordinary challenge.”
