Runner takes on London Marathon for charity which supported uncle

A loving nephew is to run the London Marathon to raise money for the charity which supported his uncle.

Rory Collier will join thousands of other runners for the challenge on the streets of London on April 27.

Rory, 29, who lives in Central London, will be running to raise funds to support the work of learning disability charity Hft in memory of his uncle Jeremy.

Jeremy was supported throughout his adult life by Hft at its Supported Living service in Lympne, Kent.

“He loved living in Lympne,” said Rory, who works in banking. “The support of Hft meant my uncle was able to live a happy and fulfilling life.

“He was a keen member of the local church and every Sunday used to go and help with tasks such as putting the prayer books out for the service.

“He also enjoyed painting and was a social and happy person. He’d always be the first person to greet others with a smile and a warm handshake.

“Uncle Jeremy really enjoyed going out and about and meeting people, and Hft supported and enabled him to do all the things he wanted to do and live his life his way.”

Rory also has fond memories of his uncle coming to stay at their family home in Sussex during the holidays.

“He used to come and visit twice a year and they were such happy times,” said Rory. “Knowing Jeremy was happy at his home in the Hft supported living service meant so much to us as a family.”

Jeremy had Downs Syndrome and mobility challenges, and in his later years, used a wheelchair and drew upon round the clock support. He sadly passed away aged 66.

Rory is no stranger to running marathons, having completed them in Rome, Budapest and Prague.
But this will be his first London Marathon.

The other marathons were in quite quiet areas and I am expecting the London event to be a lot noisier and busier,” said Rory.

Rory is also planning to run a marathon in Morocco later this year. He’s been busy getting in training for his challenge, running in London’s famous Hyde Park and Battersea Park.

“I run regularly anyway,” he said. “But I have started a training programme and am currently doing between 25 and 30 miles a week.

“But I expect that will increase to between 45 and 50 miles a week as the event approaches.”

Rory’s family will be travelling to London to cheer him on as he makes his way around the capital.

But there’s one person he’ll be thinking about as he starts his 26-mile challenge.

“My uncle will be in the forefront of my mind as I make my way around the course,” he said.

“In fact, if he was he still with us, he’d be determined to get involved. And I am sure he’d be the person shouting the loudest and my biggest cheerleader.”

Rory has set himself the challenge of raising £1,650 for Hft and has set up a page to collect sponsorship and donations.

“My biggest motivation to complete the marathon is to help other people access the support that my uncle did,” said Rory. “I have seen first-hand, through the support my uncle received, the difference a charity like Hft can make to peoples’ lives.

“It is imperative this work continues and other learning disabled adults get the same happy, fulfilling quality of life that my uncle enjoyed.”

Anyone who wants to support Rory in his marathon challenge can do so on his fundraising page.

Have you been inspired by Rory’s desire to get fit and raise vital funds to enable learning disabled adults and their families live their life their way? 

Visit our fundraising page and take on your own challenge for 2025.