Derrick Hendrickson will be competing in his first Bermuda Day half-marathon next week in memory of his mother.

Mr Hendrickson, 40, said he always wanted to run the annual race.

He has decided to do it the year his mother Kim Hendrickson, who died from ovarian cancer in 2021, would have turned 60.

He said: “My mom was the most selfless person I’ve ever met and had a way of making everyone she came into contact with feel special.

“I decided to dedicate the run to her memory because she was my No 1 fan and I know she would have been super excited to support me.”

Mr Hendrickson will never forget the treats Ms Hendrickson used to make for him and his friends on Friday nights when he was young.

He said: “We would have upwards of 20 or 30 people inside and outside our small one-bedroom apartment for dinner and just hang out.

“It always made me proud to see how my mom interacted with everyone, joined in the conversations and jokes and just how happy she was to be able to provide for everyone. She may have enjoyed it more than I did.”

Ms Hendrickson worked at the Bermuda Institute of Seventh-Day Adventists for ten years, and a post on the school’s Facebook page said she “exuded humility, kindness, love, gentleness, generosity, patience, passion, respect and insight”.

“What she did for everyone was achieved with incredible modesty and humour.”

The post added: “She was incredibly thoughtful, helpful, unstinting in the giving of her time, talent and treasure.

“She ensured that she always gave her best. She was the face of the school, as she was the first person you met upon arrival. What an asset!”

Mr Hendrickson, who will be competing to raise money for Pals and spread awareness of ovarian cancer, began running short distances in September “just to get moving”.

He said: “I didn’t decide to run in the half-marathon until December or January.

“Starting in March, I upped my training mileage and signed up for a few races, such as the Lindo’s to Lindo’s, Zoom Around the Sound and the Renaissance Re ten-mile challenge.

“I have leant on a few close friends for support and have used them to stay motivated throughout.”

He completed a practice run of the 21km course in 2hr 40min and is using that as his base time for next week’s race.

• People can contribute to the fundraiser by visitingpals.bm/donate and selecting “Running for Kim”. Donations will be accepted before and after the race

• This story has been amended to correct Mr Hendrickson’s age. He is 40, not 39 as originally stated.