Marathon grandad who fundraises in memory of daughter nominated for Pride of Britain award
ITV Granada Reports journalist and presenter Zoe Muldoon met Mike Barnes, who is nominated for the regional Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award 2024.
A grandfather who ran his first marathon at the age of 70 in memory of his daughter who died of cancer has been nominated for Pride of Britain award.
Mike Barnes, from Preston, has raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity by running hundreds of miles around the North West and completing the London Marathon, twice.
The 72-year-old started running after the death of his daughter Laura, who died of bowel cancer four years ago at the age of 36.
The mum-of-three had given birth to identical twin girls just 18 months earlier.
Laura was treated at The Christie Hospital in Manchester and was about to begin an immunotherapy trial, but died before she could start it.
Despite her diagnosis Mike says she always remained positive, and it is her upbeat outlook on life that inspired him to run in aid of Bowel Cancer UK and the Christie.
"She was just an amazing person", Mike said. "She had a thing which she always used to say. She has two choices when she gets up in the morning: be positive or negative.
"She always chose to be positive because it has such an effect on the mind and on the body and the people around you. That hope and positivity - I kind of inherited from her."
The retired headteacher, who runs for Lions Running Community in Chorley, also transports cancer patients to and from hospital, which he describes as an "honour"."It's about helping others and raising funds because cancer is still around. While it is still around, I'll keep raising funds", he said.
Laura’s best friend Libby Coldwell says Mike is an inspiration to everyone."His motivation is to help improve provision and research so that no other families have to suffer in a way that they've suffered", she said.
"He has seen unimaginable things that no parents should have to see and yet he is still able to hold onto the positives. He really draws strength from Laura's positivity."
Mike is among four finalists nominated for the Pride of Britain Regional Fundraiser of the Year Award 2024 for the North West.
He believes Laura would be "blown away" to know he had been nominated.
"It would be an amazing feeling", Mike added. "Not for me, but for the community, for those people who are going through the treatment.
"I just put one foot in front of the other. It [the Pride of Britain award] would be for those people."
What is Pride of Britain?
Pride of Britain Awards celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable people who make our world a better place.
Nominated by the public, the winners are from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the country. Their achievements are awe-inspiring and a lesson to us all.
Since the first Pride of Britain in 1999, royalty, prime ministers, and hundreds of leading figures from showbiz, sport, politics and the arts have all taken part.
Hosted by Carol Vorderman, the Awards attract an audience of around five million viewers every year in a primetime slot on ITV - making it the highest rated awards show of its kind on British television.
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