Charity runner’s trip home to see dying mum in doubt

A CHARITY challenge in which a man with local links set out to run the equivalent distance from his home in Hampton to the island has been completed successfully.

Richard Trestain's children held the Guernsey flag as finish marker in when he completed the last run in Bushy Park, near his home, to complete the 168 miles.

But his actual journey to visit his dying mother in Guernsey could be delayed due the change in Guernsey’s planned travel rule relaxation.

Richard Trestain, 41, started the challenge in February to cover the 168 miles to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK. He had hoped to raise £5,000 and so far has more than £4,800.

The cause is close to his heart, after his mother, Jan, was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer at the end of last year. Travel restrictions and quarantine mean he has not been able to see her since the end of 2019.

He completed the run in 49 sessions, having not done any regular running before.

He was running about every other day and, despite not changing his diet, lost about nine kilos.

He finally finished last weekend in Bushy Park, near his home.

Richard Trestain’s children were there to greet him with a Guernsey flag when he completed his 168-mile charity run despite not having run regularly before. His hopes of seeing his mum, Jan, who is dying of pancreatic cancer, for the first time since 2019 are receding due to the island’s stricter travel rules.

‘It was quite tough,’ he said. ‘I had about 7km to complete, so I did it at 10am on Sunday. It was almost 25C.’

His family held up a Guernsey flag as the finish line. His first call after finishing was to his mum.

Richard and his brother Oliver had planned to come and see her in early July, when free travel was meant to resume.

But the new restriction which means that applies only to fully vaccinated people might affect that.

He received his first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as he was eligible, but with a 12-week gap between doses, and Guernsey requiring a further 14 days after the second dose, his planned time with his mother could be cut down. He is trying every avenue to get his second jab early.

Mrs Trestain stopped chemotherapy at the end of May. She said the experience had left her tired, but the thought of her sons visiting her in July and August had spurred her on.

The treatment and its end was timed to ensure she would be in the best health possible for July and August to see her family.

At the end of his last run, Richard Trestain video called his mum, Jan, in Guernsey.

She was told at the end of last year that she had about a year to live.

Mrs Trestain said she really wanted to see her children and grandchildren.

‘We could go to the UK, but I would find it hard to stay in a hotel right now,’ she said.

‘It has become quite an emotional time. Going through chemo, at least I knew I could see the children in July.’

Throughout the last six months, Mrs Trestain has managed to stay quite positive, but said in the last week that the situation had become horribly real.

‘Nevertheless’ she said, ‘I have learned a lot and this time has been valuable in lots of ways and it makes you really appreciate life and Guernsey. It has never looked more beautiful.’

. To donate towards Richard’s challenge through Just Giving, https://bit.ly/2MCUSnN.