I remember standing on the sidelines, eyes darting across the swarm of runners.
Then I saw her. My heart leapt at the look of pride and exhaustion on her face.
These days, when everyone seems to be joining a run club, running a marathon might sound like some kind of midlife crisis.
But for Mum, it was never about reinvention or a passing whim, it was a culmination of a lifetime of hard work.
In her early 30s, mum was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes extreme pain and fatigue.
She wasn’t new to living with pain, having endured years with adenomyosis, which meant suffering through debilitating pain and heavy periods.
Yet for a woman in constant pain, she is the most determined person I know.
How does someone with her condition run a marathon?
The short answer is months of training, and a lifetime of strength.
Although she never managed to pass on her love for running to me, I like to think she passed on something more important: determination.
It was likely our shared determination that got us to Europe this year.
Ever since I was little, Mum and I have bonded over the Olympics.
For me, it was one of the few times I willingly watched sport.
Seeing an Olympic Games in person always felt like one of those harebrained dreams that belonged in the ‘maybe one day’ list.
But Mum has never been afraid of a challenge.
Finding out the 2026 Winter Olympics would be held in Italy became the final push we needed to book the trip.
Trudi Wight and Hailey Wight at the Winter Olympics.
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From watching the figure skating in Milan, to the ski jumping in the Dolomites, it’s a trip we’ll never forget.
What made it even more special was returning to a place that meant so much to her.
Once upon a time, when Mum was my age, she lived in Florence.
Walking through those historic streets beside her was unforgettable.
Now I live 13 hours away from my mum, and I’m feeling that distance as Mother’s Day approaches.
When I got this job, it was mum who reassured me I could do it.
When I was nervous about moving so far from home, it was Mum who made the two-day drive with me.
I have lived away before for university, but this goodbye felt harder.
I suppose I need to take a page out of Mum’s book and stay strong.
Watching her finish that marathon taught me strength is not about avoiding pain, it is about continuing despite it.
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