Taking on a new challenge: Laura’s story

September 2024

Laura has raised more than £1,600 for WAY Widowed and Young by taking part in a gruelling Tough Mudder challenge with one of her friends. She takes up the story…

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“Dan and I had been together since I was 17. We met on the Isle of Wight, where I was born and where Dan had moved when he was just three. We married in 2006.

Dan was the life and soul of every party, whether it was belting out karaoke songs or dancing with friends. He was very funny and was someone who could light up any room with his charisma and humour. He had a deep love of history, always ready to share an interesting fact or a story. His family meant the world to him, and he had a close bond with his nieces and nephews.

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In 2018, Dan was diagnosed with a chronic lung disease. His condition slowly worsened, and in January 2024, he was admitted to hospital with a severe lung infection. Sadly, his lungs were so weak he didn’t recover, and he died at the end of February.

The months that followed were the hardest I’ve ever known. WAY has been one piece of the puzzle that has slowly helped me to rebuild my life, along with support from family, friends and colleagues. I still find life hard, but I’m slowly beginning to see glimpses of light beyond the darkness. 

In the early days, I attended several WAY Zoom calls, which provided much-needed connection, and I’ve been to several meet-ups in London since then.

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More recently, I’ve been focused on training for a Tough Mudder challenge (a 3 to 5-mile endurance event with obstacles), working with a personal trainer who’s pushed me through a brutal regime to get in shape. It’s been tough, but it’s also given me a new goal and sense of purpose.

Taking part in the challenge with my friend Kate was a fantastic experience and I felt such an enormous sense of achievement, not just physically but at how far mentally I have come since losing Dan. The teamwork was so inspiring and Kate was a fantastic team mate. I was so proud of our joint achievement and grateful to all those who sponsored me and raised over £1,600 for WAY!”