Bothwell Man Takes on Edinburgh Marathon in Memory of Uncle

Paul Bagnicki, 38, lives in Bothwell, Lanarkshire. An IT specialist with Barclays, he will run the Edinburgh Marathon on May 28 to raise funds for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland in memory of his uncle.

When his beloved uncle Alex Goldie suffered a devastating stroke, Paul Bagnicki saw at first hand how life can change in an instant.

Alex sadly passed away late last year, but a request from his family for mourners to donate to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland in lieu of flowers lit a spark inside of Paul.

He decided to do something positive in Alex’s memory and signed up to run the Edinburgh Marathon on May 28.

Incredibly, before he’s even pulled on his trainers, Paul has raised more than £5,000 for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, a remarkable sum that’s set to rise even further because his employer, Barclays, has pledged to add £1,000 to his total.

Dad-of-one Paul, 38, said: “I was very close to my uncle, and I still miss him so much. He was 69 when he had a stroke, but he was a young 69 who was still busy and active. The stroke came out of the blue and it left him paralysed.

“He could no longer do anything for himself. My aunt turned into his full-time carer, and it was a tough time for the family.

“At the funeral my cousins asked mourners to donate to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, and that got me thinking. I’d got back into running after a couple of years away from it, and I ran the Edinburgh Marathon as part of a relay last year.

“I work in IT with Barclays in Glasgow, and they promise to match charity fundraising up to £1,000 every year. So, it was a no-brainer for me.”

Community Spirit

Paul decided the best way to boost his total for CHSS would be to get as many people as possible involved. He set up a fundraising night in Tannochside Miners’ Welfare Club in nearby Uddingston, where Alex lived, and began contacting local businesses to ask for donations for a raffle on the night.

He was overwhelmed by the response. The club waived the hire fee, the branches of Domino’s and Gregg’s donated pizzas and sausage rolls for partygoers and donated items such as a signed Roy Keane Celtic shirt and a signed Glasgow Warriors top helped him raise a remarkable £3,400 on the night.

There were even some incredible cupcakes bearing the distinctive Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland baked by Maureen Condie, who owns the Condie Cakeaway and is the partner of Paul’s father-in-law.

Paul said: “It was quite incredible. I was blown away by the generosity of the local businesses. Almost everyone donated something, whether it was vouchers or pizzas. I can’t thank them and everyone who came along and paid a fiver to get in enough.

“The event was lovely because everyone there knew Alex. It was a chance to reminisce and remember him.”

Now Paul is on the last leg of his training, ready to tackle the challenge of 26 miles through Edinburgh and along the East Lothian coast.

He said: “I’m ready. I’m on the protein shakes and lots of water. I did my last big training run last weekend and ran 35km, which is about 20 miles.

“I hope I can make Alex proud. And I know the money will go to great use at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, helping people who are going through what he did.”

Louise MacLeod, Community, Events and Corporate Fundraiser at Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland commented: “We are so grateful to Paul for undertaking this challenge to raise funds for Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland.

“He has already raised an incredible amount of money that will enable us to support people across Scotland who are living with chest, heart and stroke conditions.  Paul a true fundraising hero and we wish him the best of luck for the marathon later this month.”

You can boost Paul’s incredible total even further by donating via JustGiving. 

Find out more about fundraising for Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland.