Ironman for those left behind

I'm an Emergency Doc and over the last 15 years of working in the ED I have seen many families struck down by sudden loss and the grief that goes along with that. The most inexplicable loss is that due to suicide or violence and it is a sad truth that we just cannot save everyone. A year or so ago a colleague and friend committed suicide and it left me with so many questions, his life seemed so full and he had achieved so much how could this happen? It was reassuring to know that his family could receive support from the Skylight charity which supports people of all ages in NZ facing any kind of tough life situation. When I investigated Skylight some more I saw that they also supported the LGBTQI community who are at high risk of suicide, thank you Skylight!

As I had begun training towards my second marathon around the time of my friend's suicide I had plenty of time to contemplate his life and death whilst on long training runs. These runs were therapeutic for me and as I ran more the thought of finally doing the Ironman that I had promised myself I would do "when the kids grow up" became an increasingly realistic possibility. I have set myself the goal of completing the Taupo Ironman in March 2019 and would like to fund raise for Skylight in support of all those who are grieving.

My kids are not yet "grown up" and this race is a big committment for them, my husband and my extended family and friends. For that reason I am entering the race under my married name as Ruth Sharp rather than my professional name of Ruth Large. I hope that you will support me to support Skylight. As a thank you I am supplying a $60 paperplus voucher for whoever guesses my time on the day.

You are welcome to follow my training on instagram which may (or may not) help you make an educated guess on my estimated time!