A Pembrokeshire mum-of-two recently donated nearly £3,000 to Wales Air Ambulance after completing the London Marathon in her mother’s memory.

Kerri Duffy, who runs her own dog groomers, set herself the huge challenge of running the 26.2 miles after losing her mum Claire Brosnan, 55, four years ago.

Kerri said: “I ran the London Marathon in memory of my amazing mum, she was full of love, laughter and strength. She was so caring and loving. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her, and she left a huge hole in our lives.

“I decided to run the marathon for the Wales Air Ambulance. When Mum needed urgent help, the Wales Air Ambulance Charity was there. Their incredible team did everything they could to try and save her, and for that I will always be deeply grateful.”

Prior to the marathon Kerri, who is mum to Georgia and Ffion, followed a structured training plan for several months in preparation for the big day.

Her training involved running several times a week, gradually building up her distance, including some very long runs.

Kerry added: “It took a lot of commitment, discipline and determination alongside running my own business and looking after my family. One of my longest training runs was 21 miles, and I dedicated each mile to a loved one in heaven. This made the run particularly emotional and gave it a much deeper meaning.

Kerri Duffy took on the London Marathon in memory of her mum
Kerri Duffy took on the London Marathon in memory of her mum (WAA)

“Running the London Marathon was about so much more than completing 26.2 miles. It was about pushing myself beyond what I thought I was capable of, remembering my mum and raising money for a charity that means so much to me and my family.

“There were moments during training and on marathon day when things felt incredibly tough, but I kept reminding myself why I was doing it.

“This was my first London Marathon, and what an experience it was! It was something I had dreamed of doing, and to finally cross that finish line was an incredibly emotional and proud moment. I’m so proud to have completed the challenge and raised money for Wales Air Ambulance.”

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency critical care.

A Pembrokeshire mum-of-two recently donated nearly £3,000 to Wales Air Ambulance after completing the London Marathon in her mother’s memory.
Kerri Duffy donated nearly £3,000 to Wales Air Ambulance after completing the London Marathon in her mother’s memory. (WAA)

This year, the Wales Air Ambulance Charity marks its 25th anniversary, having attended over 58,000 missions since its inception in 2001. On average, Wales Air Ambulance attends 3,600 combined missions by road and air every year.

Gail Windley, Events and Partnerships Fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Kerri for choosing to support Wales Air Ambulance after the charity was called to her mum’s aid. We are extremely touched that despite losing her mother, Claire, Kerri felt that she wanted to give something back to the medics that came to her aid and fought to save her.

“Running a London Marathon is not for the faint hearted, Kerri took on the huge challenge of training for the big day, whilst being a mum and running her own business, which is incredible.

“As a charity, we rely on public support to raise the £13 million every year. Kerri has raised nearly £3,000, which will help us continue to deliver advanced critical care to people facing life-threatening or limb-threatening emergencies across Wales.

“Thank you so much, Kerri, your dedication and commitment to run the London Marathon for the Wales Air Ambulance will help us to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.”