What It Takes To...

Beat an eating disorder, and run to remember

Rosie Bye’s husband, Chris, died from sarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer, when he was just 40. Rosie, a music teacher from the West Midlands, wanted to find a way of celebrating Chris’s life, as well as raising awareness and funds for the charity Sarcoma UK. ‘I’ve always enjoyed running, so I decided to run 40 5Ks – one to mark each year of his life,’ she says.

The runs so far have been a mixture of charity races, solo outings and treadmill runs. ‘It’s been physically and emotionally challenging,’ says Rosie, 39. ‘Chris was not only my husband, he was also my best friend. During the nine months he was ill, he was always spurring me on to run, as he knew it helped to take my mind off things and give me some focus.’

In July, Rosie took part in the Race for Life 5K event in Dudley. ‘I’d last done it in July 2013 and it was the last race Chris watched me run, so it had special meaning for me,’ she says.

With 34 5Ks ticked off, Rosie has almost reached her target. What next? ‘To be honest, I don’t anticipate stopping at 40 races. This challenge has helped me feel I’m doing something meaningful in the wake of Chris’s death and I want to continue helping Sarcoma UK.’ justgiving.com/ fundraising/julie-lane6