Marathon runner raising money for the hospital which saved his life

A Mansfield-based runner will be running in the London Marathon this year to say thank you to King’s Mill Hospital after receiving life-saving surgery. 

Nathan Sharpe, 27, wants to give back to Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust after a harrowing journey with chronic illness led to him receiving stoma surgery, and he needs to meet the required, minimum £2,000 fundraising target in order to run the marathon this April.

Nathan, an employee at the Trust, was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2020, an inflammatory bowel disease which led to multiple hospital admissions and a compromised immune system. 

Medication prescribed to keep his condition under control meant that Nathan put on over four stone in weight, which deeply affected both his physical and mental health. 

Four years after his surgery, Nathan has now turned his life around and through a combination of running and healthy eating has lost the weight which caused him so much unhappiness, started a running club, and become a volunteer for a men’s mental health charity, Enlighten the Shadows.  

Last year, Nathan took on a huge milestone by running the Nottingham Half Marathon and plans to go further this year by running the London Marathon in aid of Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity, which supports improvements across King’s Mill, Newark, and Mansfield Community hospitals.

He said: “Running the London Marathon feels like the ultimate symbol of everything I’ve overcome and will be a way to honour my past, celebrate my present, and inspire others to believe in the possibility of change.

“Supporting Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity by running the marathon is especially meaningful to me as I’ve seen the incredible work our charity does to enhance patient care and support staff wellbeing. This is my chance to give back to the organisation which has been such a big part of my journey and continues to make a difference to so many lives.”

Donations towards Nathan’s marathon journey can be made by visiting his London Marathon fundraising page on Just Giving.