CAMBRIDGE NEWS | 1
THURSDAY AUGUST 20, 2020
Honouring your loved ones wishes with sincerity and dignity
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AUGUST 20, 2020
A new marathon The Cambridge Stroke Club has begun meeting post Covid-19. Jeremy Smith sits down with someone who can’t speak highly enough of the group.
“Bob, you may never run again.” With a three-decade competitive running career comprising three ultra-marathons, 30 full marathons and more than 100 half marathons already under his belt, those words hit Cambridge’s Bob Laws “like a death-kiss”. Just over a year ago, the lives of he, his wife Dawn and their family were flipped on their heads - out of the blue Bob suffered a stroke. Even now, aspects of his recovery journey are difficult to relay. “But if my story helps even one person, then I’m happy to share it,” he said. In his latest recovery steps, Bob has started attending Cambridge Stroke Club’s weekly meetings, being held again post-Covid-19 lockdown. “I just can’t speak highly enough of the work the group does in the community,” Bob said of the organisation founded 30 years ago by
Kiri Gray. “I was a bit of a fitness freak. I knew nothing about strokes before I experienced mine, nothing. “Being around others who’ve had a similar experience who can help you on your journey is amazing.” On the day of his stroke, last June, Bob, 77, had his sights set on adding another half marathon – on the Gold Coast to his tally. He completed a 15km training run that afternoon. “It was amazing, probably one of the best I’ve ever had.” On the couch after dinner, Bob’s left leg went numb. When he came to bed, Dawn noticed Bob was slurring his speech – she immediately called an ambulance. “The next thing I know, I’m being taken to Waikato Hospital, then on to Auckland Hospital.” “Being told I had had a stroke was devastating – I didn’t know what the hell was going on.” Suddenly, in place of running up to 100km a week, with one of his goals being a sub-three hour marathon, he was faced with an initial seven-week journey before he was able to return home.
Bob Laws reflects on his athletics career.
Continued on page 9
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