Courageous Kathryn Reynolds walked barefoot across coals heated to 900 degrees Fahrenheit in memory of her father.
Kathryn, a director at the Specsavers Okehampton store, lost her dad in 2024 after he suffered an aortic dissection.
There had been no indication that Steve Morris was unwell beforehand, so the incident hit his family and friends hard.
Steve was from Ottery St Mary and in his youth took part in carrying tar barrels through the streets each year as part of a tradition thought to be connected to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
As a tribute to her father, Kathryn was keen to raise money for a local hospice charity Hospiscare, which looked after him when he left hospital, while still in a coma.
With her father’s connection to fire, Kathryn realised that firewalking was the perfect way to honour his memory.
Colleagues at the Specsavers Okehampton store all got behind her and contributed to her fundraiser.
She says: ‘My dad was treated at Derriford but didn’t come out of his coma. It was a massive shock to us all, but they were amazing at the hospice.
‘I was looking at things I could do to raise money for them. I’m not sporty, so I didn’t want to do any running events, but then I found out about the firewalk and it seemed to fit perfectly.
‘It was really good to do. To begin with we did a mind-over-matter session. If you walk too fast or too slow, your feet get burned, so you just have to go at a steady, determined pace.
‘It wasn’t hard to do, but it was a weird sensation. I was nervous before, but I really enjoyed doing it. There was a real togetherness between everyone who was doing it. Everyone supported each other. It was really positive and I’m proud to have done it.’
Kathryn was among 80 people taking part in the firewalk. She collected £600 towards the £20,000 total raised on the night for Hospiscare.
Each year, Hospiscare cares for close to 2,200 people living with a terminal illness, across Exeter, central and east Devon, but receives just 24% of its funding from the government, so must rely on its community to raise the £10million needed annually to fund its patient care.
Martin Stokke, Senior Events Fundraiser at Hospiscare, says: ‘We’re beyond grateful to Kathryn and the other HospiscareHeroes who took part in the firewalk and walked over hot coals in solidarity with our patients and their families, living with terminal illness.
‘We’re also sending our thanks to the volunteers, staff and supporters who made this event possible and kept everybody safe. Together, we have raised over £20,000 for local end-of-life care, which is absolutely fantastic.’
To find out more about Hospiscare, go online at https://hospiscare.co.uk
Further information about Specsavers Okehampton is available at www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/okehampton or by calling 01837 650970.
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