Facing my greatest fear for the Ian Lennard Award

Family, Friends, colleagues, strangers, I really need your help please!

June 28th 2022, we laid to rest a well-respected, popular and hugely missed friend and colleague, Ian Lennard left behind his lovely wife Tracey, 2 beautiful daughters Lily & Mia, a loving family, a huge network of friends and colleagues and 2 boxer dogs Buster & Daisy, all of which miss him dearly. Ian unknowingly had a narrowing of the arteries, a virtually symptom free killer that can affect 50% of men over the age of 40, therefore when Ian had a heart attack, the narrowing of the arteries caused one of his major arteries to blow and tear his heart from the chest wall, causing a hole.

Ian sadly passed away with friends and family at his bedside on 5th June.

Last Christmas, Ian’s eldest daughter Lily decided to raise some much-needed funds for the Atherosclerosis Society, in doing so she raised a staggering £11,000 which was 20% of what the charity raises annually. Ian played a large part in my decision to join Yesss Electrical back in 2013 and that’s something I will never forget. On the 6th September the charity will be honouring Ian’s memory by setting up a legacy in his name, the Lennard award will be given to the young researcher whose research has the greatest potential to make a difference to the diagnosis and treatment of Atherosclerosis.

I feel it’s time to play my part, but what was I to do that would help raise as much money as possible .. I wanted to do something a little different and then my worst fear popped into my head and before I allowed myself to back out of it, I spoke to Tracey, my wife Rachel along with a few friends and colleagues so I couldn’t back out of it.

On the day the charity will be honouring Ian, I will be facing my worst fear .. I’ll be strapped to the wing of a biplane for what they call Aerosuperbatics .. now I’ve never been the best of flyers, it’s never stopped me from going away on holiday or travelling for work, but I am that man that secretly sits there eyes closed praying everything’s going to be ok before we take off. The thought of even sitting in a biplane is bad enough, whilst it performs aerobatics makes me go cold, but to be strapped to the wing doesn’t even bare thinking about. To be honest I can’t think about it, I’m trying to block it from my mind until the moment I’m stepping up onto that wing ..

I realise times are very tough for everyone right now, but every £1 counts, those researching atherosclerosis need your support to help prevent this happening to others we know and love.

Thank you

Jeff Cowup