Chris Kamara's son Jack broke down in tears after his father, the former footballer, manager and Sky Sports presenter, completed the Great North Run for charity.
Kamara, 68, was diagnosed with speech apraxia, a rare neurological condition that affects the ability to speak, in 2022. He battled through the condition to give the BBC an interview after finishing the half marathon in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.
The Great North Run, held annually between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in North East England, is one of the largest half marathons in the world, attracting tens of thousands of runners each year over a 13.1-mile course. Prostate Cancer UK funds research into the disease and provides support and information for men affected by it.
"When I got to the line I really couldn't believe it and then my legs couldn't believe it either and then they collapsed below me," Kamara said.
"It was so emotional getting around that track. I'm back, I know I'm not really back but I am back, yeah."
Son Jack's pride
Jack completed the run alongside his father together with television presenter Ben Shephard, and struggled to hold back tears as Kamara spoke to the BBC.
"I'm so proud. He's come a long way. He could barely walk a few years ago so to do that is just unbelievable. I know he says it all the time but it's just crazy," Jack said.
Ben Shephard's tribute
Shephard, best known for co-presenting ITV's Good Morning Britain and for co-hosting Ninja Warrior UK alongside Kamara, said the challenge his friend had set himself should not be underestimated.
"You cannot underestimate what an extraordinary challenge Kammy set himself by agreeing to do this. It was a privilege for me to run alongside one of my best mates," Shephard said.
"Because every step of the way we had to be careful of Kammy's balance. So it was, the concentration of everybody. But he just didn't stop. He was relentless."
"And like he said, the emotion crossing the line was off the charts. Running along here, the noise from the crowd was sensational."
"For me it's a privilege to watch you battle but to see how the family have supported Kammy every step of the way and it's not been easy and that was something I will cherish for the rest of my life sharing that with you," Shephard added.
Living with speech apraxia
Kamara has continued to speak publicly about his diagnosis in the years since, including in a series of broadcast interviews about his recovery.
Kamara, known affectionately as "Kammy", made his name as a Sky Sports presenter on Soccer Saturday, delivering live reports from football grounds across the country for more than two decades. He previously played as a midfielder for clubs including Portsmouth, Swindon Town, Brentford, Middlesbrough, Leeds United, Stoke City and Sheffield United, and went on to manage both Bradford City and Stoke City.
Speaking to ITV's This Morning last month, Kamara said he was "not the same person" he used to be, but felt he was on the up.
"I'm feeling great, my voice has quickened up and I'm so much better," he said. "I'm great. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not the same person as I was, but I accept the new me now, and everybody else seems to accept it, so you get on with life."
He explained that speech apraxia is a brain injury that interrupts the message from the brain to the mouth, meaning he sometimes cannot speak, or speaks more slowly.
"[You have to] accept the person you are now and not crave the person you were before. And then you can get on," he said.
