Chris Kamara's son became visibly emotional after the former footballer and presenter completed the Great North Run for charity. Kamara, 68, who was diagnosed with speech apraxia in 2022, finished the half-marathon in support of Prostate Cancer UK.
His son, Jack, who ran alongside him with presenter Ben Shephard, struggled to hold back tears. Kamara shared his own emotions after crossing the finish line, telling the BBC, "When I got to the line I really couldn't believe it and then my legs couldn't believe it either and then they collapsed below me. It was so emotional getting around that track. I'm back, I know I'm not really back but I am back, yeah."
Jack Kamara expressed immense pride in his father's accomplishment, noting his progress from struggling to walk just a few years ago. "He's come a long way. He could barely walk a few years ago so to do that is just unbelievable. I know he says it all the time but it's just crazy," he said.
Shephard, a friend of Kamara's, highlighted the significant challenge the presenter undertook. "You cannot underestimate what an extraordinary challenge Kammy set himself by agreeing to do this. It was a privilege for me to run alongside one of my best mates," Shephard stated. He added that the concentration required due to Kamara's balance issues made the endeavor even more remarkable.
Kamara, known affectionately as 'Kammy,' discussed his condition in a recent interview, acknowledging that while he is not the same person he once was, he is on an upward trajectory. "I'm feeling great, my voice has quickened up and I'm so much better," he told ITV's This Morning. "I'm great. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not the same person as I was, but I accept the new me now, and everybody else seems to accept it, so you get on with life."
He explained that apraxia of speech is a brain injury that interrupts the message from the brain to the mouth, sometimes affecting the ability to speak or leading to slower speech. Kamara advises acceptance of one's current self rather than longing for the past to move forward.
