Laura Massheder, from Tadcaster originally and now Malton, crossed the finish line at the Great North Run on Sunday, September 8, in honour of her late mother Patricia Taylor (formerly Jakeman) who died 20 years ago aged 45 after a sudden heart attack.
“A few weeks after my run and I am slowly feeling my legs again,” said the 38-year-old married mum of two. “I am so proud of myself – it’s 20 years since my mum died and I am proud of how I have navigated myself through life, and I know my mum would be too.”
As The Press reported, Laura was just 18 when she lost her mother.
This came as a shock to her and brother Richard, who was 21 at the time.
“There was just three of us,” she said previously. “It was just me and my brother navigating the world.”
The teaching assistant described the time as a “whirlwind”.
“We were very young; it was a very hard time,” she said.
Laura said the family has a history of heart disease but there was “nothing to indicate” that her mum would have a heart attack.
“Everything was fine on Sunday, July 4, 2004,” she said. “I went to work on the Monday morning and was due to go to Greece on holiday. But then I went home and found her.”
Atmosphere of run ‘was amazing’
Laura raised £2,259 for the British Heart Foundation by running the Great North Run half marathon (13.1 miles) between Newcastle and South Shields.
“I could not have achieved this without the support and love from everyone on my Facebook,” she said.
Of the run itself, Laura explained: “Despite it pouring down with rain, the atmosphere was amazing from start to finish.
“I had a great solid nine miles then I just wanted to get finished but felt like my legs were so heavy.
“Then I saw my family on the home straight – it was definitely the pick me up I needed to power me to the finish line.”
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The half marathon was the furthest distance Laura has ever ran.
She started running after the birth of her second son, Zack.
Laura said she had “never felt so many emotions” than she did on the build up to the run, saying she was “so nervous” when travelling up to Newcastle.
And after she crossed the finish line, she said: “My legs were like jelly.”
“I would like to personally thank my little family and my amazing friends for always loving and supporting not only me, but my family too.”
