Willowbrook Hospice has helped hundreds of families in St Helens
Lee Guy on one of his ‘personal’ challenges (Image: Lee Guy)
A man has raised thousands for a hospice that supported his mum after she was told she had terminal cancer. Willowbrook Hospice in St Helens has been a “home“ to many people’s family and friends since it opened in 1997 including Lee Guy’s mum.
Since his mum’s cancer diagnosis in 2016, Lee, 48, from St Helens, has raised thousands of pounds for the hospice by taking on huge challenges across the world. Once Lee took on his first Tough Mudder challenge, he instantly challenged himself to compete in all ten across the UK that year. He then headed to Las Vegas where he competed in the World’s Toughest Mudder.
He told the ECHO how his thirst for competing comes from feeling a “buzz” when he is pushing himself to the “limits.” He said: “I just love personal challenges, I have always loved to push myself to the absolute limit. I get a buzz off people and as I’m getting older I’m trying to battle against age, I’m 48 now, I’ll probably do something silly for my 50th.”
Following his mum’s diagnosis Lee has directed his challenges at fundraising for local hospice, Willowbrook, who supported his mum through her cancer battle. He said: “My mum spent a little bit of time there when she was ill. Everyone in St. Helens knows a friend or family member who has spent a little bit of time in Willowbrook.
“Before my mum went there I’d never been in before, then when my mum was spending time in there I would go in on a night and it was a lovely time in there with her. It never felt like a hospital or hospice, it felt like a hotel and it was good. They made our lives much easier when it came to that part of our life.”
In Lee’s latest challenge he ran around Totally Wicked Stadium with 20kg on his back for 25 hours, to kickstart 2025. He told the ECHO how he came up with the idea while training for a run he had challenged himself to do from Manchester to Liverpool.
He said: “Me and a friend were training to run from Manchester to Liverpool and we run past it so I said ‘I wonder if we can run around it for 25 hours.’ He told me not to be silly, that there was no chance, so that challenged me to do it.
“I just like to challenge myself. I train all the time, I love setting myself goals and challenges every year. I just think if I can do something and it encourages someone else to do something then I’ve done something good.
“When I did the challenges at the Totally Wicked Stadium people kept coming along to join me including a 71-year-old man who walked with me for five hours, it was incredible. Young lads were coming to help with the fundraiser, these are people who don’t have gym memberships getting involved.
“I love people doing the best they can and if someone comes to challenge me then I’ll do it and I’ll keep raising more money for Willowbrook. I must have raised thousands for them.” You can donate to Lee’s fundraiser here.