John Owens

Davy's Run John Owens

Davy's Run is the story of friendship, tragedy, resilience and the courage to keep going. Following years of recovery from two strokes, firstly in the early 1990s and the latter in 2011, I was on track to re-join my unit in the military. However, something didn't feel right: I wasn't myself, I didn't like this person I had become. I had to learn how to apply new strategies and deal with the demons in my head. My confidence soon returned and I found myself on the start line of the Glasgow 10k (Ten Kilometre Race) in 2012 with my older sister. Without her I would never have had the courage to stand there amongst the runners, due to my anxiety and panic attacks. DAVID DAVIS (Davy) was always there for advice when I needed it. He joined the Army a few years before I did in 1989 and soon we became the best of friends, sharing countless stories of our upbringing in the heart of Ayrshire. We had a love of cars, the outdoors and mountaineering, in particular. I never met anyone who had anything bad to say about by friend, my brother, my inspiration. As my rollercoaster year of 2016 continued, I decided to do a charity run and go public about my recovery journey. My experience of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and my demons from the past, always act as a reminder of how I overcame tough times. While on one of my training runs in Helensburgh, I met up with Davy and his wife for what would be the last time I was to see my best friend alive. At his funeral, through the tears and sounds of motorbike engines saying goodbye, I heard a lone piper playing a lament and as a result DAVYSRUN was born. I wanted to do what helped me previously and that was to run, so a double marathon challenge was what I aimed to achieve, raise awareness of suicide and much needed funds for charity too. Having achieved this epic journey, I couldn't stop there and decided to run the rest of the year in his memory. But following my two strokes, was this even possible? My challenge was set. With the tears and tantrums, came injury, joy and relief. From breaking three personal best times in a row, to surviving the awesome River Ayr Way Ultra-marathon, this is a journey of self-belief and true friendship.