Latest news with #Unexplained
BBC News
07-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Bristol man running six ultramarathons in six days for charity
A man planning to run six ultra marathons in six days said he is excited and nervous after not running more than 15 miles "in years".Simon Pilkington, 42, from Bristol, will cover about 180 miles (289.6km) to raise money for Oliver's Wish, which helps charities supporting babies, children and young organisation is named after four-year-old Oliver Dowling, who died in 2015 from Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). Oliver's dad, Rob Dowling, will join Mr Pilkington on his first run will be London Marathon on 27 April, which they will extend to Paddington station before running five more ultras along canal and river paths to Bristol. Mr Pilkington first raised money for Oliver's Wish when he learnt to box two years ago for a match with his iGaming industry colleagues. The group went on to raise £152,000 for the charity."This time I wanted a bigger challenge to try to raise even more money for them," he Pilkington completed the London Marathon before, in 2013, but had been unsuccessful in his applications every year he heard he had been successful for the 2025 event, he said he had just finished a book by ultra marathon sea swimmer Ross Edgely and was feeling "far too inspired"."I found a run that takes place in July, going from Paddington to Bristol using the canal pathways, and thought I could use that plan after the marathon," he said."The charity was really happy me for me to do it, so it very quickly came together."He said although he is in a "weird phase" of excitement and self-doubt as the challenge gets closer, his wife and children have continued to inspire him. Mr Dowling, 50, from West Sussex, has said he hopes the challenge will not only raise money for his son's foundation but will "inspire others to be involved". "Simon's challenge is just incredible and once I learned what he was taking on, I knew I had to support him on this journey," he said. Mr Pilkington said he is breaking his training down to experience the fatigue of long-distance running while focusing on avoiding injury."So far, wearing barefoot trainers, I've not had a blister yet," he said he is focused on nutrition, practicing what he can eat while running, and using ice baths for recovery."Although I'm not a big cold water fan, they've been really helpful," he said. "But I can't take them with me.""Every day is about the brain and mindset getting you through it," he added. Some people are planning on joining the duo for sections of the challenge."[We have] lots of friends joining on day six, because we're finishing at the pub in Westbury," he joked."And one thing I'm looking forward to is soaking up the atmosphere as I didn't really get a chance to enjoy that last time when I was running London Marathon, because I was so focussed on trying to get a personal best time."
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Parents advocate for child bereavement leave
BOSTON (WWLP) – Families of children who died from Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood gathered at the State House to advocate for parental bereavement leave. Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) is the fifth most common cause of death in children between one and two years old. In these cases, most often a seemingly healthy child goes to sleep and never wakes up. Six Holyoke educators awarded for excellence in teaching One in 100,000 children die from SUDC, but there is no way to predict or prevent it and it does not receive any federal research funding. Advocates are working to pass a law that would allow parents to take 10 days of bereavement leave following the death of a child, regardless of their workplace's policy. Erin Bowen is a pediatrician who lost her son, Conor, when he was just 17 months old. 'Families need support from everyone, including the knowledge that their job is preserved and that they have the ability to have some time off,' said Bowen, who serves as the Vice President of the SUDC Foundation. A Westford representative is leading the charge for this bill, and he told 22News that it is simply the right thing to do. 'It's a very difficult situation, obviously, dealing with the loss of a child,' said Representative James Arciero. 'As a father myself, it's heartbreaking and unimaginable,' SUDC is not as common as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and lawmakers and advocates say a large part of their work centers on raising awareness about the issue and resources available to grieving families. Affected parents said they are advocating for this goal now, during Sudden Death in Childhood Awareness Month, to ease other parents' pain should they lose a child. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
