Sam King, 31, who lived in Clapham and Battersea before moving home to Essex last month, is taking on the monumental challenge, known as ‘Project 74’, in honour of his mum Penny.
Penny, who had a subarachnoid haemorrhage earlier this year, can no longer walk and struggles to feed herself or hold a conversation.
Sam and his best friend, mum Penny (Image: Headway) The mum-of-four spent 29 weeks in hospital and has since been discharged to a care home.
A subarachnoid haemorrhage is an uncommon type of stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain.
Sam, originally from Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, has moved back to his hometown to be with his mum.
He is also raising £74,000 for Headway UK, a charity that supports people with brain injuries.
“We enjoyed taking our coffees out and sitting on a bench to watch the sunrise.
“Afterwards, I flipped my laptop open to start work and next thing my mum’s best friend – who she’d been living with – screams my name.
“I knew something bad had happened.
“I went upstairs, and mum was falling to the ground.
“I held her and called 999.
“We live quite far away from any services.
“It took 45 minutes or so for the ambulance to arrive and mum was fitting and barely breathing.
“It was the worst day of my life.”
Sam has given up his management consulting job in London to focus on Project 74, with his brother also taking a career break to help.
The ultrarunner’s journey to fitness was not an easy one.
Five years ago, Sam was severely overweight and addicted to gaming.
He said: “I was number one in the world on Call of Duty at one point.
“I’d be up all night playing it.
“But as a result of that phase, I put on a lot of weight; I ate rubbish and was smoking and drinking.”
Moving to London to pursue a career saw Sam kick start his health and fitness journey, which eventually led him to ultrarunning.
Over the years, he has completed marathons and ultras in more than 15 countries, including a 250-kilometre race in the Jordanian desert.
Sam is now an ambassador for Ultra X, an organisation that hosts multi-day ultras around the globe.
The Ultra X co-founders, Sam Heward and Jamie Sparks, said: “Sam made a mark on Ultra X Jordan and ever since has been a big member of our community.
“It’s incredible to see him now taking on Project 74 with the same determination and spirit, using his challenge to make a real difference for Headway and everyone affected by brain injury.”
Helen Craig, fundraising manager at Headway UK, added: “We are immensely grateful for Sam’s dedication and efforts in taking on this huge challenge for Headway.
“One ultramarathon is no mean feat, let alone 74 consecutively!
“We’ll be cheering Sam on every step of the way.
“Every pound raised helps us continue to improve life after brain injury.”
Sam’s devotion to his mum is clear in his words: “I can’t stress enough how incredible my mum is.
“She’s the most selfless person I’ve ever met.
“She’ll spend almost every day cooking for people and doing things for the local community.
“She’s always been my best friend in the whole world.”
Having witnessed the struggles of a loved one with a brain injury, Sam is determined to help others like Penny.
He said: “Every mile I run is for my mum.
“And every bit of support will help others like her.”
To support Sam’s cause, you can donate to Project 74 via GiveStar.
