The LYCRA Company’s Paul hopes WHM return after health setbacks will inspire oth
20 August 2025
A Derry man who has experienced the heartbreaking loss of his wife and life altering health setbacks in recent years will reach a significant milestone in his rehabilitation next month when he takes part in the relay element of the Waterside Half Marathon.
Paul Duddy, a Process Engineer at The LYCRA Company’s Maydown plant, has been running for over 10 years and has completed the Waterside and Strabane Lifford Half Marathons.But his inspirational journey to take part in this year’s event along with almost 60 of his work colleagues on Sunday September 7th makes this by far his most significant participation to date.
Paul lost his wife Elaine following a long battle with illness in May 2022 and since that tragic event he has experienced his own life-threatening health struggles when he had surgery and chemotherapy treatment for cancer and suffered a heart attack in 2023.
Despite only starting to walk again last year, Paul has made remarkable strides and will now take part in the third and final leg of the relay on race day along with his colleagues Jaye-Katrina Nangle and Liam Quigg.
He credits getting back out and doing physical exercise in the company of friends with playing a key role in accelerating his return to health.
“The team at The LYCRA Company have really bought into the event and it’s been great for morale and brought us together as a group,” he said.
“For me it hasn’t just been about getting fit, it’s the comradery of preparing for something together and getting out and chatting to friends and colleagues.
“Talking to people is so important, you always feel better after sharing your experience or any problems you have.
“I wouldn’t have shared things with others as much when I was younger but I really see the value of it now.”
Paul’s wife Elaine suffered from a number of health conditions that impacted her quality of life at times and became particularly unwell in 2020.
“Elaine had Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency that affected her lungs and liver as well as autoimmune disease and chrones,” he explained.
“The majority of the time she was strong and had a good life but she suffered a number of setbacks in 2020.
“Her mobility was significantly reduced and she became housebound and passed away after a double lung infection in May 2022.”
While Paul had been caring for Elaine at their home he was unaware that his own health challenges were just around the corner.
“A week after Elaine was buried I began to notice some bleeding when I went to the toilet, I ignored it at first and thought it might be something I’d eaten.
“I would never have been one for contacting the doctor but when I eventually called the surgery I was put straight through and given an emergency appointment and the tests went from there.
“The Biopsy showed that I had benign tumours and I was immediately scheduled for chemotherapy and surgery.
“A week before my second operation in 2023 I had a heart attack and had surgery for a stent to be inserted.
“My scans were showing that the cancer had returned to my bowel but they couldn’t operate for six months after my heart surgery.
“When they did operate on my bowel at the end of 2023 they picked up other cancer clusters and two and a half weeks later I started chemo again.
“After all the setbacks I really wanted to get physical activity back into my routine and in February of this year, one year after I had started walking again, I returned to light running.”
While last year’s Waterside Half came too early in Paul’s rehabilitation, he helped man The LYCRA Company’s water station on the Bay Road.
“Last year was a great day’s craic,” he added. “I loved watching thousands of runners passing through from the elites to the fun runners and we did our best to encourage them along and give them water and sweets ahead of the last couple of miles.
“It’s always been a really well organised event, I did the full course in 2016 and 2017 but I’m just as excited about taking part in the relay with Jaye and Liam this time around.”
Staff at The LYCRA Company have been training in groups ahead of race day and will have a presence in the post race village at Ebrington where will have a gazebo in the club zone.
While Paul’s fitness isn’t at the levels they were at before his illness, taking part next month means as much to him now as it ever has.
“I still experience periods of fatigue but I am enjoying eating well and being active again and the Waterside Half relay has been an ideal target to aim for,” he added.
“I live alone so the training has been a good incentive to get out of the house and meet up with people.
“I don’t feel it but I am technically disabled, I have to be careful and do a long warm up and my colostomy bag can present some challenges - but the buzz is still there.
“I hope my story shows people that there is a way back to health and fitness no matter what you have been through, you might never get back to levels you were at when you were younger but you’ll still experience the joy of taking part and sharing your experience with others and all the wellbeing benefits that come with that.
“I want to thank everyone at Macmillan for the help and support they gave me during my treatment and the Stoma nurses and community for their help with exercise and nutrition classes which were a big help in guiding me on the road to recovery.”
The LYCRA Company are the industry leading manufacturer of fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries.
Last year 28 runners from their Maydown site took part in the event and a further 10 volunteers manned their LYCRA water station on the Bay Road - and they have plans to do things bigger and better with this year when they take over the water station at the bottom of the Foyle Bridge.
The route for the 2025 Waterside Half Marathon will start and end in Ebrington Square and cross the Craigavon Bridge, the Peace Bridge (twice), the Foyle Bridge and the Pennyburn Footbridge.
Athletics NI have also confirmed that the 2025 Half Marathon will also be the Northern Ireland and Ulster Half Marathon Championships race.
The event is chip-timed and every finisher receives a commemorative medal and t shirt.
The 2025 Waterside Half Marathon is sold out, for race day information visit www.derrystrabane.com/whm [derrystrabane.com] where there is a full route map.