Pete’s Ironman tribute to his brother David

7th August 2025

“Supporting St Luke’s through the Ironman feels like the closest thing I can offer to a thank-you note.”

Pete Thacker completed the Leeds Ironman last week – consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run – in memory of his brother David, who was cared for by St Luke’s back in 2023.

Pete, from Otley, near Leeds is a self-described “keen albeit rather slow cyclist and runner”. He decided to take on his second Ironman in Leeds on July 27, completing it in a fantastic 13 hours and16 minutes.

“I completed my first Ironman around twelve years ago, but the body is older now and responding to training in slightly more painful ways than it did back then! That said, there’s nothing quite like the sense of achievement when you cross the finish line whether you run, walk or crawl over it. There’s a strange enjoyment in pushing yourself to that point. When you come into the transition area for the second time to start the run, someone always says, ‘last bit now’ but what they don’t mention is that the last bit is a full marathon!”

David was just 36 when he sadly died in October 2023, following a rapid and devastating cancer diagnosis. “Everything happened incredibly quickly – from his initial diagnosis to being told the cancer was incurable and that little could be done. It’s hard enough to face something like that at any age,” Pete says, “but at 36, with a young family, it felt especially cruel.

David spent his final few weeks being looked after by our care teams at our specialist unit at Turnchapel. “The team there were nothing short of amazing. They brought comfort, dignity and warmth to a desperately difficult time – not just for David, but for all of us. I met up with him during his treatment, he was still trying to work at the same time, and I remember how worried he was about what lay ahead, especially having seen our dad go through cancer the year before.

“But he felt safe and cared for at St Luke’s, and that brought huge comfort to the rest of us. Where else could you be looked after so well and still have your dogs come visit? At one point, they even arranged for his daughter to walk a pony around the ward.

“Supporting St Luke’s through the Ironman feels like the closest thing I can offer to a thank-you note.”

David was just 36 when he sadly died in October 2023, following a rapid and devastating cancer diagnosis. “Everything happened incredibly quickly – from his initial diagnosis to being told the cancer was incurable and that little could be done. It’s hard enough to face something like that at any age,” Pete says, “but at 36, with a young family, it felt especially cruel.

David spent his final few weeks being looked after by our care teams at our specialist unit at Turnchapel. “The team there were nothing short of amazing. They brought comfort, dignity and warmth to a desperately difficult time – not just for David, but for all of us. I met up with him during his treatment, he was still trying to work at the same time, and I remember how worried he was about what lay ahead, especially having seen our dad go through cancer the year before.

“But he felt safe and cared for at St Luke’s, and that brought huge comfort to the rest of us. Where else could you be looked after so well and still have your dogs come visit? At one point, they even arranged for his daughter to walk a pony around the ward.

“Supporting St Luke’s through the Ironman feels like the closest thing I can offer to a thank-you note.”

David was the youngest of three brothers and, according to Pete, “without a doubt, the coolest.” He worked in television as a sound engineer, and Pete still finds himself watching shows he wouldn’t normally choose, just to see David’s name in the credits. “It’s surreal,” he says, “but also comforting.

“People often say the person they’re fundraising for was ‘liked by everyone’ – but with David, it was genuinely true. He was kind to everyone around him and had a wide circle of friends. He also had a brilliant sense of humour which seemed to be more effective because he could be quiet, apart from when he was enjoying some heavy metal at Download – maybe he wasn’t so quiet then…”

The battle to the finish

“When I entered, I thought it would make logistics easier because I only had to drive 20 minutes to the start line. But, as it turns out, an Ironman really isn’t about the logistics of getting to the start, it’s all about the battle to get to the finish.

“The support on the course was incredible. One of the more memorable moments came on the bike leg, which involved climbing a very steep hill not once, not twice, but three times – and each time we were greeted by a group of people dressed as American wrestlers, dancing to various hits including Macho Man by the Village People. It definitely helped take the edge off the climb!

“The run passed in a bit of a blur as I focused on not cramping up, largely thanks to a very scientific nutrition plan of full-fat Coke and ready salted crisps. And before I knew it, I was running down what looked like a long, glorious finishing chute to the red carpeted finish line which felt like miles but, in reality, was probably about 25 metres long!”

Pete has so far raised an incredible £3,000, enough to provide a package of care at home for three people and their families.

“It’s been genuinely overwhelming to see the generosity of everyone who’s donated,” Pete says. “As a family, we cannot thank St Luke’s enough. The care, support and compassion they showed in the final weeks of my brother’s life made an unbearable time that little bit more manageable. Having them by our side made all the difference and without them, those last few weeks would have been so much tougher. Knowing the money raised will help other families going through something similar means the world.”

Pete’s JustGiving page Run for St Luke’s

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