YOU CAN HELP: Why one West Seattle woman is running today

kate
(Kate, mom Denise, and son Alex, an Alki Elementary student, atop the Columbia Tower last winter)

One local woman out running today is on a quest – you may already have seen Kate Calamatta out along the Alki Trail if she kept to her original plan:

I’m a West Seattle resident originally from the UK. In March this year my Mum had a very serious road traffic accident in the South of England. I was running along Alki when I got the news. 24 hours later I was by her bedside at Southampton Neuro ICU in the UK. She was in a bad way and it was touch and go for the first few week. After nearly two weeks she began to awake from her coma and begin her long journey of rehabilitation. Now she’s in a specialist unit for traumatic brain injury. Progress is being made but it is a slow and hard fight. There’s no doubting she will be impaired for life.

After the accident my Mum was airlifted by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance to Southampton. Had this service not been available there’s no way she would have survived. The Air Ambulance is a charity and not funded by the UK govt.

I have been running for only 8 months and after Mum’s accident I decided to do something substantial to raise money for the people who saved her life. So, (today) I will be running a half marathon that will begin at Queen Anne and end at my home in West Seattle.

So, if anyone sees (or saw) me, a hunkered down, slow, exhausted looking runner, jogging along Alki, please give me a cheer and some positive vibes! I’ll be easily recognizable by my slow pace, red face, black leggings, grey vest and a black headband! Also, if anyone is moved to do so, please look at my fundraising page:
I know this is a foreign charity for most of the people in WS but it is a very worthwhile cause that makes a real difference.

3 Replies to "YOU CAN HELP: Why one West Seattle woman is running today"

  • Caroline Tyree June 6, 2016 (2:48 am)

    Hi Kate – Thank you so much for taking on this challenge for us.  We would love to be able to share your story on our website and social media pages as it is by sharing stories such as yours that we are able to get the vital oxygen of publicity that we rely upon.  If you would be up for this, please get in touch with us via our Facebook page. Many thanks. 

  • Kate Calamatta June 8, 2016 (6:12 pm)

    Hi! Thank you for putting this out there! I’ve already had extra donations, which is just fantastic. 

    I did successfully complete the run on Sunday. It was very, very hot and the section along Alki was, as I thought it would be, very tough going. My Mum was foremost in my mind throughout and I hard to work hard not to let my emotions ruined my breathing during the final mile. She’s still working hard back in the UK to recover from her accident, which would not have even been possible without the work of the Hants and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. 

    Again, thank you for this WSB. Although I’m UK born, I feel very much a part of this wonderful WS community.

    PS – if anyone sees me working in WS (I’m a dog walker) you may notice me limping horribly – seems half marathons and my ankles don’t go very well together!

    The pic is me heading along Harbor Ave, my kids waiting to cheer me on!

    • WSB June 8, 2016 (10:34 pm)

      Thank you for the update!

Sorry, comment time is over.