Chris Hooper is no stranger to the Bidwells Cambridge 10k having taken part several times before, but he is returning this October as our official race starter. Chris supports the event in memory of his wife Donna who lived with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and sadly died in 2008 aged 29. Chris explains what the event means to him.
“I want to help others receive the same support”
Donna and I met in 1999 and married five years later. People often say that they live life to the full, but this was genuinely true of Donna. She had a profound impact on everyone she met and, despite needing an electric wheelchair and mobile ventilation via a tracheotomy, she never let her disability define her.
“She was a real force of nature, keen to maintain her independence throughout her life and give back to others.”
Donna lived with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), which affected the function of her nerves, leading to muscle weakness. She was diagnosed with the condition when she was four years’ old and sadly died in 2008, aged 29.
Shortly after Donna died, I took up running. When I started, I entered various running events for a range of charities associated with Donna. I live in Cambridge so there was no question that I would take part in the 10k for Muscular Dystrophy UK, and I’ve done it for the last few years. Unfortunately, I’m unable to run this year due to an injury, but it’s an honour to take on the role of official race starter and hopefully inspire everyone taking part. The event is particularly poignant as it takes place each year around the anniversary of Donna’s death (12 October).
It seems fitting that I do this for Donna in her memory.
“If I can support Muscular Dystrophy UK so that they can help others to fulfil their potential, then I think she’d be proud.”
I saw the difference the charity made to Donna and other people she knew living with a muscle wasting condition – helping them to live life to the full, and I hope that by supporting the charity and this event, I can help others to receive the same support.
It was a huge privilege to be asked to be the official race starter for this iconic event, and I’m honoured to be involved in this way. I wasn’t sure at first – I’m just an average guy. But then I realised it wasn’t about me, it’s about the memory of Donna and she was anything but average!
I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone taking part in the Cambridge 10k, especially those who are fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK. There’s always an amazing sense of community on the day and the feeling as you cross the finish line is unbelievable. Everyone is excited to be there and the shouts of encouragement around the course really do spur you on. It doesn’t matter if you sprint the whole 10k or, like me, have to walk in parts. What matters is the charity and improving lives of the individuals it supports.
Find out more about the Bidwells Cambridge 10k: www.musculardystrophyuk.org/get-involved/events/bidwells-cambridge-10k-2025/
