Sophie is Running York 10K in Memory of her Dad

Sophie is running this year's York 10K in memory of her dad, Philip Curtis, who passed away in 2013 due to a rare, undiagnosed heart condition.

At only 3 years old when her dad passed, with older brothers Ollie and Joe being 6 and 12, Sophie only has a few precious memories of her dad of her running alongside him on some of his shorter runs. Philip was a prolific runner in his lifetime, so Sophie is running to remember him and continue his legacy.

Sophie's dad was a pillar of their local community of Bishopthorpe which he was always there to support, be it through running the local pub quiz, to being a school governor and Parish Councillor.

In this vein, Sophie is running the York 10K to raise money for a small local charity - Bereaved Children Support York. After her dad's passing, Sophie's mum quickly discovered that there was little support for bereaved families in York. But, the family was thankfully signposted to Bereaved Children Support York and, after receiving help from them through their tragedy, now help out in their monthly drop-in sessions.

"I hope to raise as much money as possible for this wonderful charity via my Just Giving page, as they truly deserve every penny of it."

Founded by Jo Cole in 2016, the charity provides support for hundreds of children and families across York through their drop-in sessions, 1-1 bereavement counselling, and the multiple social events they hold.

"I hope to make my family, friends, and most importantly my Dad proud, as I know he will be watching over me and cheering me on every step of the way during my run! Thank you so, so much to everyone who has donated, I am extremely grateful for everybody's support."

You can donate to Sophie's Just Giving page below and support her efforts to support other bereaved children like herself.