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Ironmaidens raise more than £7500 in memory of Jude Cantlay
Friends Hayley, Louise and Natalie were inspired by Jude's journey through treatment to take on the biggest challenge they could, an Ironman 70.3, to help support families like his going through their own challenges.
'He was never afraid to voice his opinion and could tell if you were doing your job correctly, often telling the nurses and doctors off!’ Hayley said speaking on her memories of Jude. ‘He was so funny, with a sense of humour way beyond his years, he was such good company. He loved little treasures, sharing and his big brother Sebastian. If he ever received a treat he would 100% make sure Sebastian had one as well.’
‘His taste in music was so cool, one day a nursery teacher asked him what his favourite song was, thinking a nursery song like wheels on the bus and he told her, Pompeii by Bastille, no hesitation. Honestly the boy was a legend, and no description is enough to tell you how wonderful he was.’
‘Jude will forever be our hero and we will carry him with us in everything we do, and we will be eternally proud of him.'
'Emily and I go way back' Hayley reflected, speaking on how she met Jude's mother Emily. 'We were in high school; I was the well-behaved one, Emily and her best friend Nicola were a little cheeky, and once they realized they were on the final warning, they started hanging around with me to behave!'
'It was really difficult for Emily & Ian's family during Jude's treatment as they were in and out of hospital, constantly needing to isolate, and then they had to move to Sheffield. They did everything they could to remain together as a family and Latch helped with that.'
The trio saw the ironman 70.3 as a great challenge that would rally the community behind them and Jude's memory. 'We have all been into some form of exercise or fitness and actually all met in a CrossFit gym, but we knew the Ironman would push us all out of our comfort zones. None of us owned a bike and I could barely swim so we knew an Ironman 70.3 would be a real challenge for us.’
The challenge has been nearly a year in the making, with their training routines starting in 2025. 'Training was brutal at times,' Hayley told us. 'It was easier in the spring and summer months, but running in the wet or dark was not fun. Training pretty much took over anything social. Social plans were put on hold. We managed to hold some social runs and bike rides to get our friends involved, which really did help.'
'Having said that, the training has opened up new hobbies for us, and going out on my bike for a couple of hours at 6am is now one of my favourite things to do, in the sun, and I have Jude to thank for that.'
The team have now all completed their Ironman's, with Hayley and Natalie completing the Swansea Ironman in July, and Natalie recently finishing her Ironman at Weymouth in mid-September. The 3 have managed to raise more than £7500 across their months of training, and now only have the comparatively easy challenge of the Cardiff Half Marathon in front of them.
'We are hoping to hit the £8K target for Jude and Latch by finishing up our training with the Cardiff half in October. We hope the money we have raised will really support families going through what is the unimaginable to many.’
‘For us we did it for Jude. We talk about him, run and train in his memory, and show that he is a real superhero'
The trio are now planning on taking on the full Ironman in 2027, which covers a total of 140 miles swimming, cycling and running, all inspired by their friend Jude.
