An Ely father is taking on an extraordinary running challenge — completing 12 half marathons in 12 months — to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, inspired by his profoundly deaf daughter.
Tom Maynard, 39, who lives in Ely, Cambridgeshire, with his wife Rachael, their seven-year-old daughter Dottie and three-year-old son Rex, began the challenge in December as he approaches his 40th birthday.
“When I realised my 40th was coming up, I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to run a half marathon every month in the lead-up to November,” Tom said. “But I also wanted it to mean something.”
His motivation comes from Dottie, who was born profoundly deaf with enlarged vestibular aqueducts and Mondini malformation.
Life with cochlear implants
Dottie now has cochlear implants in both ears — the first fitted when she was just 14 months old in May 2019 and the second a few months later.
A cochlear implant is an electronic device worn behind the ear that provides a sense of sound to people with severe to profound hearing loss by directly stimulating the hearing nerve.
Despite the challenges she faces, Dottie is thriving at a mainstream school where teachers wear a mini microphone that sends sound directly to her implants. She also receives specialist support from a teacher of the deaf who visits once a month.
Listening, however, takes immense concentration.
“It’s very tiring and she often crashes out as soon as she gets home from school,” Tom explained.
Night-time can be particularly difficult.
“When she takes her cochlear implants off, her world is completely silent and dark and that’s very isolating for her. We usually sit with her until she falls asleep.”
Hope for a hearing dog in the future
Tom and Rachael hope that one day a hearing dog could transform Dottie’s independence and confidence.
“The way the dogs alert their partners to important and often life-saving sounds is amazing,” Tom said. “But more than that, it’s about companionship and comfort.
“Just having a dog with her at nighttime would help Dottie feel safer and more secure.”
That hope is what fuels Tom’s demanding year-long running challenge.
Running across the UK
Tom is no stranger to endurance running and has previously completed multiple London Marathons, beginning in 2014. However, preparing for a race every month has required careful planning.
He began training in September ahead of the first event in December. His weekly routine includes a Tuesday run through Regent’s Park near his workplace in Soho, another run on Thursday, and a longer training run at weekends.
So far, Tom has completed three races: ‘T’was the Run Before Christmas in Brandon near Bury St Edmunds, Run for Cake in Peterborough and Windmill Way Wander in Bury St Edmunds.
On Sunday he will take on the Cambridge Half, a race he says is “very scenic and takes in the university colleges”.
Later in the year he plans to run events in Manchester, the Goodwood Motor Circuit and Bath, and he is especially looking forward to the iconic Great North Run in Newcastle in September.
His final race in November will take place at Alton Towers, where runners pass through the theme park before celebrating with a rollercoaster ride.
Raising awareness of deafness
Tom says the races have also become family adventures.
“We’ve decided to make weekends of them,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for us as a family to explore different parts of the UK together.”
Every mile he runs carries a deeper purpose — raising awareness of deafness and the work of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Being deaf can significantly affect a person’s quality of life, making communication difficult and sometimes leading to feelings of isolation, anxiety and loneliness. Missing important sounds such as smoke alarms, doorbells or intruder alarms can also leave deaf people feeling vulnerable.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People trains dogs to alert deaf partners to these vital sounds while also providing companionship and emotional support.
The dogs wear distinctive burgundy jackets in public, helping bring visibility to a largely invisible disability and often sparking conversations that help deaf people reconnect with their communities.
Tom hopes his challenge will not only raise funds but also highlight the difference these dogs can make.
To support Tom’s challenge and raise funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, donations can be made via his fundraising page:
https://events.hearingdogs.org.uk/fundraisers/thomasmaynard
Supporters can also follow his progress on Instagram at @maynards_half_marathons.
