Inverness neuro-nurse goes the extra mile in memory of his friend
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An Inverness man running to raise money in memory of his late friend, Pete Nairne, says he saw his friend’s face with every step he ran.
Ryan McKay who now lives in Edinburgh with his family where he works as a charge nurse in neuro-theatre decided to run 1000 miles to raise £1000 for the Brain Tumour Charity.
Ryan said: “I wanted to do something in Pete’s honour and decided I could do this as a way of remembering him.”
Pete and Ryan had been friends since they met at Inverness Royal Academy.
It was there that they became part of a band called Lymerick Smith with Rory Baldwin, Rod Urquhart and Steve Kelly which became well-known in Inverness.
After school, Ryan trained as a nurse at Raigmore Hospital, before moving to work in Edinburgh and Australia for four years, settling in Edinburgh in 2004 and getting married to Jan in 2008.
Throughout that time the members of Lymerick Smith – who Ryan describes as “a band of brothers” – kept in touch.
Pete, who worked as an environmental scientist in Inverness and had two sons, Ruairidh (6) and Archie, born in 2020, was Ryan’s best man.
But in May 2021, Pete was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Pete married his partner Fiona with Ryan returning the favour by being Pete’s best man and walking him down the aisle. Pete died that November.
Ryan said: “We used to say Pete was so nice, such a gentleman and always our anchor.
“He has left such a big hole.”
Ryan says that despite the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, people have been very generous in contributing to his fundraising challenge, giving over £3365, far beyond the original target.
Ryan finished his challenge as he planned in time for Pete’s birthday – a few days in advance of it at the Inverness Half Marathon.
“It was good because the route took us past the Highland Hospice and the room where Pete had spent a lot of time later on, and we also passed what was the Maple Court hotel, where I remembered him ripping me to shreds during his best man’s speech, so there were happy memories,” he said.
Ryan admits since he finished his challenge: “I’ve missed it, so I’m thinking of doing something else – it has been such a huge part of the last year for me. I’ll be doing the Paris Marathon next year – just for fun – but it would be good to do something with the boys. Every time I go out running, my four-year-old twins Freya and Harris ask if I’m going for ‘a little run or a big run?’.”
He doesn’t think the other band members would join him on a big run, but wonders if they might all do a cycle together for Pete next year, though it’s still just an idea.
And at work, Ryan keeps Pete’s memory alive: “I’ve got his picture on the challenge poster – the JustGiving link is live till mid-May – so I can keep him with me there too.”
n To donate, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p835m34
