Worthing woman ready to take on a mountain for St Barnabas House hospice in memory of her dad

Becky Whitbourn is signed up for the epic Man Vs Mountain challenge to the summit of Snowdon on Saturday, September 2, and faces a fiendishly difficult obstacle course as she makes her way from Caernarfon Castle on the 22-mile adventure.

Four months ago, she could barely run up the stairs, she said, but she has been training hard, including strength training and practising yoga.

Throughout, Becky has been inspired by her dad, Mark Whitbourn, who showed strength and tenacity after being diagnosed with cancer last August, even when he was really unwell.

Since he died in November, Becky has been using the grief counselling service at St Barnabas House hospice in Worthing and she has chosen to support the charity with her fundraising. Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rebecca-whitbourn2 to donate.

Becky said: "To thank them and celebrate my dad's tenacity, I am participating in Man Vs Mountain, a 22-mile race up a mountain and back. They were available 24/7 and they helped us get through some of the most unbearable nights of my life. They helped prepare us for what was to come and did everything in their power to keep Dad comfortable.

"My dad was utterly kind and generous. He would help anyone in need. With a smile that was contagious, he could make anyone feel instantly as ease. Dad was a builder and he was always tinkering away in his garage, building or fixing things. Any time I needed something to be mended, he knew exactly what to do. Dad was never more at home than when he was up a ladder, precariously balancing without a worry in the world. Even when he was sick, he kept asking if he could go up a ladder!

"My dad loved his garden and wildlife gravitated towards him. He once rescued a disgruntled pigeon in our garden, feeding it peanuts. It would sit on Dad’s shoulder as he pottered round the garden and it still comes to our kitchen window to be fed.”

Becky said she had done similar challenges in the past but the altitude would add an extra layer of difficulty to the arduous route.

She said: "I wanted something that would challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone, and this will certainly do that! I know it won’t be easy but I will be remembering my dad and the day before he died.

"Although he couldn’t talk by then, he sat up with me and my brothers and listened to every word we said. That would have been so hard for him – he had lost all his muscle and couldn't eat, so it took so much energy to sit himself up. If he can do that, I can do this. If I can also raise funds to help an amazing cause, then that is a huge bonus.

"I am not a great runner, so I know I will struggle. But I am looking forward to the views and the swim at the end. If my dad could see me now, he'd think I am crazy. I have always had an adventurous streak and he always cheered me on. I can just hear him now, saying 'Go get ’em, girl!'."