Mum to run 62 miles in late husband's memory

A Guildford mother-of-two has spoken of the "rollercoaster" two years since her husband died as she prepares to run an ultramarathon in his memory.

Jojo Clark is raising money for the British Heart Foundation on the 62 mile (100km) run between London and Brighton in May.

She wants to raise awareness of the heart disease prevention charity after her husband, Matthew Clark, died following an unexpected cardiac arrest in January 2023.

Speaking to BBC Radio Surrey with her two children in the studio alongside her, Ms Clark said Matthew fell ill "with no previous warnings".

It was a Sunday afternoon at home when he complained of indigestion. Minutes later, he went into cardiac arrest.

Ms Clark administered CPR until an ambulance arrived 11 minutes after dialling 999, but her husband passed away a couple of hours later in hospital.

"You are thrown into a situation you don't want to be in. You don't have a choice," she said, adding that her priorities "always will be" her two children.

She said: "If you want to see a spectrum of emotions just please spend a day with us.

"It's joy, it's happiness, it's sadness, anger, frustration, but we are together, we are a team and we try."

Ms Clark, who has already raised more than £900, began running in preparation for a marathon, which she completed in 2024 in aid of a local bereavement charity.

The 39-year-old has also completed a running challenge to raise funds for her children's school, but this will be her first ultramarathon.

The physical and mental health benefits of running are "much needed when you are going through so much", she said.

Ms Clark chose to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation as it is "not said enough" how much good it does.

"Everyone could probably find something" in the charity's work that they relate to, she added.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, and on X. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.