Going the Extra Mile – Chantelle Fernandes runs London Marathon for her ailing father

May 01, 2017 Sports

On an unusually sunny day in England, with thousands of people crowding the route of the London Marathon, a small runner makes her way to the finish line with a message hand-written on her back; “My Daddy”. Over 4,000 miles away in Guyana, her Daddy, confined to his bed by the ravages of Parkinson’s disease, looks on with tears in his eyes. “This is so amazing” he whispers.

Chantelle displays her medal

Chantelle Fernandes, at 5’2″, cuts a very petite frame. The seventh child of former national footballer Robert “Bobby” Fernandes and Luana Vieira Fernandes, she grew up in a family devoted to sport and competition. The baby of the family, Chantelle often had to play catch-up with her siblings, and was often mistaken for her older sister and national sportswoman, Nicolette, but on April 23, 2017, Chantelle crossed the finish line a hero to the scores of family and friends following her run, and especially, to her Daddy.
Growing up, Chantelle was often underestimated by competitors on a sports field because of her size. Rather than throwing in the towel, however, she persisted, and through hard work and determination, she fast became a regular on the local sports scene. She represented Guyana internationally on both the national junior and senior squash teams, before making asuccessful transition to Field Hockey. Applying her fighting spirit to a new sport, she was quickly selected to join the national Team, playing shoulder to shoulder with some competitors almost twice her size. Known affectionately by her Teammates as “Smallie”, she would eventually be voted to serve as Team Captain. Her determination would eventually take her to the London Metropolitan University on a Hockey scholarship, where she graduated with a degree in Sports Management.
Whether competing locally or internationally, her Mom and Dad were constant fixtures in the crowd; but that began to change in 2005, as her father began to suffer the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease. This disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. It affects movement and speech, and is usually associated with tremors, muscle stiffness and a slowing of movement. These symptoms usually get worse over time, and can lead to a complete loss of movement, speech and control over basic bodily functions, like breathing and eating. There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s.
Over the last 12 years, Chantelle watched as Parkinson’s took its toll on her once active father, slowly robbing him of his mobility, and confining him to his home. But like her, her Daddy refused to give in, and has published three books of short stories, poetry and photography since his diagnosis. During this period, Chantelle began a career as a Cancer Rehabilitation Specialist, and shared her newfound skills and experience to support her father’s exercise and physical therapy regimen.

Chantelle, with her Father, Bobby, at her wedding celebrations

After giving birth to her first child in 2016, on her Daddy’s birthday, Chantelle proceeded on maternity leave. But yet again, she refused the typical role of a stay at home mom, and decided to take on one of her life’s dreams; to run the London Marathon. Inspired by her parents’ long struggle with Parkinson’sdisease, she decided to use her run to raise money for research into a cure. Still healing from a caesarean section, Chantelle began her training, eventually ran a number of shorter distances and half marathons.
Never having completed a full marathon, Chantelle took to the streets of London on that fateful Sunday morning and ran for just over six and a half hours, covering over twenty-six miles, and raising £1,743 (close to half a million Guyana dollars) to find a cure for Parkinson’s.
Watching on in-person were her Husband and eleven month old son, while her friends and family followed her online. Most importantly, her Daddy followed her from start to finish, and looked on with pride as “Smallie” crossed the finish line still fighting for his cause.
In a time when the world seems full of conflict and negativity, Chantelle’s running of the London Marathon for a Parkinson’s cure reminds us that we all can be a force for positive change. To her friends and family, she is a shining example of courage and the fighting Guyanese spirit. (Damian Fernandes)