A man who lost his wife has taken part in a 100-metre charity race against comedian Elis James in Dulwich to spark conversations around grief, writes Maya Sgaravato-Grant…
Geraint John, whose wife Deb died of cancer aged 43 while in the care of St Christopher’s Hospice, went head-to-head against his old school friend Elis at half-time during a Dulwich Hamlet home match on Saturday 28 February,
The event was organised with the aim of collecting £10,000 for the hospice and breaking taboos surrounding loss, at a time where new research commissioned by St Christopher’s found that only one in six UK adults feel comfortable talking to friends and family about grief.
Dressed in the kit of their respective football clubs, Swansea City supporter Elis won the match against Cardiff City fan Geraint by a small margin, prompting Geraint to issue an apology to his fellow Cardiff supporters – or ‘bluebirds’ – on social media following the event.
However, Geraint expressed his happiness that everyone ‘pulled together and got some cash for an incredible organisation.’
In a introduction to his fundraiser, he said: “Debs meant the world to me.
“This run is for her and for the hospice that held us up when we were falling apart.”
Geraint has been speaking publicly about the experience of loss after his wife’s death in 2022, and has encouraged others to talk more openly about bereavement.
It was this openness which prompted Elis James to get in touch, and the old friends have since rekindled a strong bond.
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Donate to their fundraiser here: Fundraiser by Geraint John : St Christopher’s Hospice
St Christopher’s next fundraising campaign: Fun Walk 2026
