Daughter's death spurs dad for Triple Peaks Challenge

MARK STORY
He's neither adventure nor adrenaline junkie.
Chris Mellors' quest to conquer the Pak'nSave Triple Peaks Challenge stems from a desire quite distinct to that of his 760 fellow competitors.
His team's exertion in tomorrow's Hawke's Bay event over 47km will be spurred by memories of his 14-year-old daughter, Georgina, who died of a brain tumour in May last year.
Her death, a bombshell to Chris, wife Debbie and their two other children, came less than three years after the five emigrated from the UK to Havelock North.
"Some people turn to the bottle - I started pounding the pavement instead," Chris said.
Ten months later and 10kg lighter, he is the fittest he's been.
Yet he didn't do it alone. Friend Aaron O'Keeffe ran alongside to lend an ear to his mate. It was a gesture the grief-stricken father would never forget.
"Aaron reacted more like a family member than a friend when Georgina died. He shed tears with me, trained with me and took time off work whenever I needed someone to talk to."
Months down the track, the two, along with another friend, Jesse Williams, decided rather than simply clock up the miles, they'd knock off a few goals in the process.
Chris and Aaron set up a trust in Georgina's name.
"When Georgina was sick we were given so much money by charities and anonymous donations that we thought it'd be nice for us to be in a position to do the same. We couldn't have survived without the community."
There's another reason for the trust. "It's selfish in a way, but it means our daughter's name's not lost. She was only in New Zealand for a short time before she died, not a lot of people would have known she even existed."
Georgina's dog, Ben, would run the last leg with the team, who would compete in t-shirts bearing Georgina's photo. * Anyone wishing to donate to the trust can do so at any Westpac branch, or by visiting www.georginalucytrust.co.nz