A super-fit dad who went to see his GP after clocking slower Parkrun times than usual has died of lung cancer.
Kevin Leonard, 51, realised something was wrong was when it took him 10 minutes longer than normal to complete the weekly 5km run.
He would normally complete the course in just over 19 minutes, so to take nearly half an hour - combined with a persistent cough - prompted him to seek medical help.
Two courses of antibiotics didn't improve his health and within a couple of weeks was so breathless he had to go A&E.
His wife Eben, from Cardiff, said: 'It was just really unusual. He was such a fit and healthy person.
'The doctors at A&E couldn't find anything but sent him to the hospital for a CT scan. He went for the scan at the University Hospital of Wales on December 23.
Super-fit dad Kevin Leonard, 51, (left) who went to see his GP after clocking slower Parkrun times than usual has died of lung cancer
'Kev phoned me to say that the doctors wanted to see me. I couldn't understand why they would want to see me.
'But when I got there Kev told me they had found something. Then three doctors came in to say that they had found blood clots on his lungs.
'They explained that the clots were a sign that the blood was changing and getting stickier in the right lung, which is a sign of cancer.'
It was a shock for the family of the journalist who had worked for BBC Wales, Cardiff University, and the South Wales Echo during his career.
Kevin was still able to walk around and further tests were carried out in the new year but 'the worst possible news' came after an operation to remove the cancer in March 2020 was halted.
Eben said: 'When they went in to carry out the lobectomy on the lung they realised the cancer had progressed to stage four.
Six months on from Kevin's death and his family are now turning their grief into a positive and using Kevin's love of running to raise money for the hospice that helped the whole family so much
'They explained to my daughter and I that it had been what they described as an open and shut operation because they couldn't operate.
'They explained the only treatment left available to Kev was immunotherapy and chemotherapy. It was devastating but the oncologist explained the immunotherapy and that was a game-changer for us because it would give him more time. It wouldn't cure him but it would give him more time.'
Throughout this gruelling time Kevin remained positive and continued to keep his family's spirits up.
But the treatment was hard on his body and several times he ended up needing hospital treatment.
By September last year the cancer had moved to his bowel and Eben says it was then that they 'felt time slipping away.'
It was decided to pause treatment for a time and while the family were able to celebrate a 'nice' Christmas together Kevin's health deteriorated.
Eben said: 'It was nice but we couldn't have done it without the help of the nurses from the City Hospice in
