NENE PEOPLE
Kerry Richardson The jewellery designer reveals how a love of pilates gave her the strength to carry on after the death of her beloved husband
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HEN Kerry Richardson went on a date to The Bell Inn in Stilton back in 2010, she couldn’t have predicted what the future held. “I’d been on my own for 15 years, running my jewellery business and teaching pilates,” explains Kerry, 55, who lives in Longthorpe, Peterborough. “I vowed I’d never get married again. But Andre and I got on so well they had to kick us out of the pub that night because we couldn’t stop talking and didn’t want to go home!” Romance blossomed between Kerry and Andre Goodison, a business coach, and the pair married in 2012 in two joyous ceremonies – one in the UK and one in their native South Africa. “I was blown away by how happy I was with Andre,” says Kerry. “I felt like all my ships had come in.” Kerry’s jewellery business was also booming – she is an award-winning designer who creates bold pieces with African influences – and her love of pilates led her to set up a secondary enterprise as an instructor. Kerry credits pilates with saving her from debilitating shoulder pain caused by repetitive strain injury from her jewellery work, and she is passionate about spreading word of the benefits of this unique fitness discipline. But sadly, just a year after their marriage, Andre suffered a severe seizure in the middle of the night which left him temporarily unconscious. He was diagnosed with a brain
“People say there must be a runway at Thorpe Hall because the angels have landed. The staff there are angels in every respect. It’s an unbelievable place.”
tumour and after several years of illness he passed away at the Sue Ryder Hospice at Thorpe Hall in May last year, aged just 58. “He died on the Sunday and on the Tuesday I was back teaching pilates,” recalls Kerry. “What else could I do? Knowing that my pupils needed me helped me cope with the grief. I am still bereft and heartbroken, but I have to carry on. The other option is to sit down and become depressed and that isn’t for me.” The end-of-life care Andre received at Thorpe Hall was second-to-none. “The support was profound,” says Kerry. “People say there must be a runway at Thorpe Hall because the angels have landed. The staff there are angels in every respect. It’s an unbelievable place.” As a consequence, Kerry is keen to make her own contribution to the vital service provided by Sue Ryder so that other people losing a loved one may have the same, supportive experience. From February onwards, Kerry will be holding a special pilates class in Alwalton from which all proceeds will go to the charity (see below). “Sue Ryder are absolutely behind me on this project and it feels so important to raise money for them,” says Kerry. “So many of us are affected by cancer and terminal illness. Losing Andre, my soul mate, has been gruelling, but I know that I am a better person having known him. He loved me unconditionally. My way of coping is to focus on that love.”
THE GIFT OF FITNESS
Kerry and Andre married in two joyous ceremonies
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NENE LIVING JANUARY 2017
On Thursday 2 February, Kerry will be hosting a unique exercise class in her husband’s memory to raise funds for Sue Ryder, the charity which runs Thorpe Hall Hospice. Held at Colonel Dane Memorial Hall in Alwalton from 6.15pm to 7.15pm, all contributions to this donation-only class will go directly to the charity. The class will feature a mix of pilates, yoga, somatics and mindfulness. If successful, it is hoped that the class will become a monthly fixture, helping to raise awareness and much-needed funds for Sue Ryder’s vital work. • To book your place in Kerry’s charity class, call her on 07753 136966 or email pilates.kerry@gmail.com • To find out more about Kerry Richardson’s other pilates classes visit www.pilates3.co.uk