Nicky Spinks has grit.
It’s been with her forever, whether under her fingernails in Yorkshire, England, where she lives as a farmer, or proving her resolve as a lifelong fell runner.
Spinks became a Bob Graham Round finisher in 2006 and, later, a double Bob Graham Round runner — a rare effort that demands a 132-mile Lake District, England, trudge, which you can read more about in our WeRunFar profile of her.
Then there’s the other arena, where Spinks has shown even more toughness: her battle with cancer. Both are documented in the inspiring film, “Run Forever: The film of Nicky Spinks and The Double Bob Graham.”
The veteran runner was closing in on her 40th birthday when she polished off the 42-peak Bob Graham Round. Just weeks later, doctors would identify a lump in her right breast as malignant, and Spinks would lose the tissue to a total mastectomy.
But the British legend survived and later recounted the whole experience for the brand inov-8. The brand filmed Spinks as she attempted the Double Bob Graham in 2016, and “Run Forever” bears testament.
My take: put on the 48-minute documentary next time you want to do something but think it’s too hard. I’ll be surprised if you find Spinks’s steady determination doesn’t prove you wrong.
Nicky Spinks running downhill on the double Bob Graham Round. Photo: Dan Bailey
