Holly Burge

Running for Robyn – A 10km Tribute to my Mum and the 421,000 Australians living with dementia.

In 2023, my beautiful Mum, Robyn, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Dementia at just 59. We’d felt the whispers of change long before then, the quirky traits, the little moments brushed off and what feels like a constant games of word scrabble but Mum has always been different in the most wonderful, unique ways. I'm often caught wondering, was there a moment where the fog began to settle in, where she felt the overwhelm static start and said nothing, carrying the fear quietly so we wouldn’t have to. 

Dementia doesn’t just take memories. It steals voices. It warps time. It slowly unravels the person you’ve always known, thread by thread. For the past two years, Mum has been in a loving residential care facility, surrounded by an incredible team of carers and NDIS support workers who help her live with comfort, routine, and dignity. While the journey has been filled with uncertainty, it’s also been filled with love, the deep, quiet kind that shows up even when it’s hard. 

Caring for Mum has been both a responsibility and an honour, heavy and healing all at once. I once read that dementia is “grieving the loss of someone still alive.” I feel that truth every day.

So, I'm taking part in the Gold Coast's Memory Walk & Jog by running in the 10km on the 1st of June, to raise funds to support Australians impacted by dementia, for the memories we’ve lost, and the love that remains. For awareness, for support, for every family walking this same uncertain path. But most of all, I’m running for Mum. 

If you wish to support, donate, or even just share this, thank you — from the bottom of my heart. 

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Not many people know, but dementia is Australia's second-leading cause of death. By 2058 it's expected that over 800,000 Australians will have dementia. But we can change this.

All money I raise will support the work of Dementia Australia and help provide vital support services like counselling, support groups, education, and research to help find a cure.