'When my wife died, I channelled grief into running London Marathon' says Leeds Salvation Army organiser

Tony Thornton MBE, 58, (pictured right) is The Salvation Army’s regional manager for homelessness services in northeast England but is based in Leeds. Every day he supports teams of professionals and volunteers as they work with vulnerable people to break the cycle of homelessness and help them overcome obstacles in their lives. In December 2017, Tony faced his biggest personal challenge yet when his wife, Ann-Marie, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. They had been married for more than 29 years. In a bid to channel his grief and to exemplify the positivity Ann-Marie had herself shown, Tony took up rock-climbing and signed himself up to his first marathon to raise funds for The Salvation Army’s work with victims of modern slavery. Tony said: “I don’t particularly like running, so that is a challenge in itself. When I lost my wife in December, I decided to join a gym, which I’ve never done before, committed to doing some running and I wanted to do something different so I also joined a climbing club. I can now climb quite well – it’s been a huge challenge but it is actually helping me build up my strength for the marathon.” Tony has already taken part in a 10K race in his hometown of Darlington and is continuing to work hard towards his goal of 26.2 miles. This year's marathon takes place on Sunday April 28. Tony said: “I found the 10K okay but towards the end it was quite a struggle. When I crossed the line I thought, ‘Great! I’ve done six-and-a-bit miles but the London Marathon’s another 20 miles on top of that.’” However, Tony has plenty of support behind him, with his climbing club and gym encouraging people to sponsor him, his church organised fundraisers and the homelessness services Tony manages are also adding to his efforts to further the final total. Additionally, Tony is striving to be the top fundraiser for The Salvation Army so he can scoop a holiday incentive to donate to a service user from one of the Lifehouses (homeless accommodation centres) he manages – he has stiff competition from a couple of fellow runners but is determined to succeed. Tony said: “The Salvation Army provides a place of safety in our communities for people experiencing difficult times. Working with people who find themselves homeless, it is so important to offer more than a bed for the night – we also help give them a reason to get up in the morning. Our teams provide support and guidance as people work through the obstacles they face to transform their lives and break the cycle of homelessness. “Our work with victims of modern slavery and human trafficking is no different. We meet people who have been trapped into slavery and at their point of need transport them to a safe place to stay while they recover their dignity and build new lives. I was determined to do something to help.” Tony recognises he has plenty of work to do but, right now he is enjoying pulling on his shoes and hitting the road to train. He admits: “I’m not one of those people who plugs headphones in to jog - I usually say some prayers. My faith has been very prominent throughout my life and it has become stronger as I’ve gone along. Equally, I drew strength from seeing Ann-Marie’s faith as she battled cancer and, even when facing chemotherapy herself, saw how she would reach out to anybody else struggling during the process. Her faith never faltered throughout the two years of illness and she passed away very peacefully; God was always there. “Without faith, our family all would’ve crumbled but because we had such a strong faith we could continue and I think God has opened other doors on the journey for us.” This sense of keeping moving bravely forward in faith is key in Tony’s training regime, too. When asked what his tip for training is, he said: “Perseverance is key – particularly on those days that it’s absolutely pouring down outside and you don’t want to go out for a run. The ultimate goal is to run 26.2 miles – to keep going. Set yourself simple goals – maybe it’s a few miles or just getting to a gym or running two or three times a week - and have that faith to be able to do the next goal.”

Tony’s fundraising page can be found at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tony-thornton1