A GROUP of seven friends raised £1,744 for Wales Air Ambulance after completing the Conwy Half Marathon in memory of a much-loved friend who had a “heart of gold”.
Gareth Bowen, 46, who was known as “Kimo” to his friends, lost his life in August 2023.
Mr Bowen, from Broughton, was said to have been “always there to help others”, and “a truly beautiful and great man”.
He was reported to have entered the water from rocks in Trearddur Bay on Saturday, July 29, shortly after 7pm.
On August 2, his body was found on a beach in Rhoscolyn, which was confirmed by police on August 4 to have been identified as Mr Bowen.
His friends Amy Boyd, Rachael Wintle, Paul Johnson, Sarah Davies, Simon Quick, Jo Robinson and Laura Thrift took on the half marathon in aid of Wales Air Ambulance.
The charity had supported the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to help with the search of Mr Bowen.
Amy said: “We decided to pick the Conwy Half Marathon as we knew this would be a great challenge for us; however, this is something Gareth would have achieved with ease.
“Gareth completed many half marathons as well as full marathons - with little training.”
The team named themselves “crazy diamonds”, a nod to a favourite song of Mr Bowen, who was also descried as “a true diamond”.
Jo Robinson, who trained for three months, described the challenge as “brutal but brilliant”.
Rachael Wintle added: “I felt there were lots of signs of support from Gareth along the way spurring us on, a song at the beginning of the race and a rainbow appearing at the end.
“I trained for 16 weeks, three times a week, and found it gruelling and challenging, but remembering why we were doing it to support a charity who helps to save lives got us through.”
Amy added: “The weather on the day was definitely out to challenge us, but we felt Gareth was there to cheer us on and keep us motivated.
“It was a very emotional experience, and we are all extremely proud of our achievement.
“We would definitely like to complete another challenge in the future in memory of Gareth.”
Deb Sima, community fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance, said: “A huge congratulations to the crazy diamonds team, for taking on the huge challenge in memory of Gareth.
“The half marathon fell on the weekend of what would’ve been Gareth’s birthday, making it an ever more poignant day.
“It was a lovely way to remember him. We are honoured that the team wanted to fundraise for our charity in Gareth’s memory, whilst raising an amazing £1,744.
“Gareth sounded like a wonderful man who is clearly missed. Your support will help us continue to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.
“Thank you to everyone involved in the fundraiser.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here