Fetcheveryone Member of the Month

pedroscalls asks: Congratulations on your MoTM win, my question is if time and money were no object what race or route would you love to do.

Stevce says: Thank you all for your questions, you are a nosy lot aren’t you? Haven’t you got anything better to do then to ask sensible questions of me?

In all seriousness, ‘wot! you being all serious Stevce, that is not like you!’ Yes in all seriousness! now leave me alone whilst I try and answer these questions with a bit of sensibility! ‘ok, just get on with it, I’ll pretend to be interested in what you are going to say!’
Firstly thank you all for your votes, being voted for is an honour for me and I am very humbled!

Pedroscalls – you got me thinking, I suppose given those parameters, my mind keeps coming back to the Round The Rock, in Jersey, which is a 48 mile race, I have tried it twice (and failed) so far. The first year I was under Chemo and was surprised, but completely pooped, when I got to 16 miles – which I wouldn’t have got that far, without the support of my sister and running Buddy – Minardi (shouts out to Minardi!) – Last year we got to about 30 miles but were beaten by the weather. So as this is a race which is still on my bucket list to do – I have to say this one, as it is a challenge that I still need to conquer! roundtherock.co.uk

Pothunter asks: Congratulations! What would you have for your death-row meal? Starter, main and dessert plus something to wash it down?

Stevce says: HA! – you might not be aware of my condition Little Saint Pothunter, but basically it means I can’t eat too much and certainly I couldn’t eat and drink at the same time, so your question is quite a teaser! Let’s assume that I am allowed 30 minutes between each course, then I would answer your question with….. Starter, this would have to be something like a fry up!, Sausage, bacon, fried bread, scrambled egg, yummy (Something which in normal circumstances would fill me for a good four or more hours!), but assuming I could then go on and eat more food, main course has got to involve Yorkshire puddings, maybe a nice bit of Pork, crackling and all the trimmings. For dessert, assuming I haven’t killed myself from over eating first, then Mums home-made trifle, would loads of cream. And to wash it all down, it has to be Ardbeg (Other whiskeys are available!) – I think I would die happy (and completely bloated) then 😊

Fenland Flier asks: Congratulations Stevce about time. Are you following in the footsteps of your big sister or is she copying you with this running malarkey? Do you try to outdo each other?

Stevce says:
I think this is easier to answer backwards…… no we don’t try and outdo each other, although we are siblings, there isn’t any rivalry, my Sis has been very supportive of my running as part of my recovery and we will run together in races if possible, but this goes back to ‘normal times’, we finished Chester marathon together about 50 years ago, and have been in the same races on several other occasions, and we definitely don’t try and outdo each other, on the contrary – support, support and more support.


Minardi is a better long-distance runner then me and I am faster over shorter distances. I would be happy to copy her determination, stamina and motivation of others – she is infectious!! (and I would love to run the GNR with her!)

westmoors asks: Congratulations Stevce. If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?

Stevce says: Hi Westmoors, I would love to be able to follow my family tree backwards, my grandfather was a bit of an enigma, having left home and possibly changing his name, but certainly changing his date of birth, has made it difficult to trace my family roots, Ancestry DNA (other DNAs are available) was able to provide me with who his father was but even then it hits a brick wall- so answering your question, I think I would like to speak to my great grandfather, to try and work out what went on there with my grandfather and where our family comes from. Is that important now? I don’t think so! but I would just love to put the jigsaw together!

FlyingScotsman asks: Congratulations Stevce! If you were a professional athlete in any sport, what song would you want playing as you walked out onto the pitch?

Stevce says: I think the music is easy – imagine walking out to a packed stadium with ‘Fanfare for the common Man’ by Emerson Lake and Palmer




Inspiring, motivating and emotive! – I am glad you didn’t ask me what sport or stadium !!!

geordiegirl asks: Congratulations Stevce you have cheered up lots of us in recent times and have super powers at unearthing fetchies in hiding.

What motivates you to run?

Stevce says: Well geordieclaus, thank you for recognising my superpowers and as you know, I explain more about these powers in my book 'How to evade capture, using the grid square method' (available in no good bookstores priced at only £9.99) – small plug !!

Motivation – Illness and fighting it – not letting the bastard to get me down, keeping sane and having a healthy fighting chance. Being out and about, with only my brain, legs and breathing to worry about distracts me from the World, I can forget about everything, or I can use a run to sort out things in my brain, running is great as it is challenging, difficult (otherwise everyone would do it), and a fantastic distraction. (And I love it too!)

Serendippily asks: Congratulations Stevce. Your rhymes and pastiches are fab: who is your favourite lyricist?

Stevce says: What a horrible question Serendippily! Firstly I had to look up pastiches (and Lyricist, but I am not going to admit to that one!),

Secondly, if I had to chose,
Who would want to lose,
Or to be the best,
And wear the coveted vest,
To have a particular slant,
It would have to be (Robert) Plant!

Horrible, horrible question :-pppppppppppp

Mushroom asks: Congratulations. Do you ever resort to repeating a mantra in your head if you find it difficult and, if so, what do you say?

Stevce says: Sorry to disappoint Not Mushroom at the Inn – No is the answer, but if I did it would probably be along the lines of………
’If that is the only thing I have to worry about, I don’t really have a problem!’

Or alternatively ‘I can do this…..Its only pain!’

minardi asks: So chuffed that you won Stevce x What has been the hardest thing to get used to since they removed your stomach? And if I'm allowed another question, what's it like having such a fabulous sister to look up to

Stevce says: Hee, hee – its brilliant having a fabulous, caring and motivating sister to look up to, but let’s try not to make your head too big! But you know me, I tend not to say to much and to save embarrassment for both you and me, I will leave it there!
Stomach – I hate not being able to be sick, and never feeling hungry – sometimes I can overeat and that gives me massive pain, which I just have to wait until things move along, sometimes that can take hours, whereas if I could bring it up, it would clear me out and take the pain away. Luckily this doesn’t happen too often, but every now and then!

And for not feeling hungry, I sometimes forget to eat which of course is not helpful and leads me to overeat to compensate and (see above) I can’t be sick and repeat!

RRR-CAZ 🇬🇧 asks: Congratulations Stevce - If you were to be given 2 golden tickets to any sporting event what would you choose to watch ?

Stevce says: Hi RRR-CAZmas GB,

I would love two season tickets to see my team, which I wont mention, so as I don’t alienate any readers, but yes I would love two season tickets to Old Trafford!, if it was for a one off event, then it would have to be the European Championship with my (unnamed) team (come on you reds!) – Sorry to any non-football Fetchies but I do enjoy my footie and you asked!!!

RFJ asks: At last... recognition Stevce, many congratulations, you have kept going and going, what makes your motor tick? Talking of motors what would be your favourite car to turn up in a race in?

Stevce says: Hi RFJ, Good luck with your new home!

My motor continues to tick, because the alternative is not worth thinking about! Enjoying life has many privileges and keep fighting helps with the adversities that life throws at us! – I am not really a car person, I always used to like the old ‘E’ type jag, but I would rather have a new car with all the mod cons – turning up at a race, I suppose to show off it would have to be BMW i8, if it was for practicality then a small motor home, with cooking, showering and changing facilities 😊

Ness asks: Congratulations, stevce. My question is, of all the races that you’ve done so far, which is the one you have enjoyed most and would recommend that everyone should go for?

Stevce says: Hi Ness, I suppose the one I have enjoyed most, is probably the Great North Run, the atmosphere is fantastic, the course is challenging but great (if a little hilly in places), and the atmosphere afterwards and the beer that is drunk, really makes it a great occasion. I am trying very hard to get my sister to run with me on it, but did I mention the hills !

JulesR asks: Finally yaay - can I stop voting for you now;)
Question from SwimSlow: How long have you been analysing data every day on Fetch so you could keep me honest in the Castles challenge?

And one from me - does playing at a high level on the WhoSquaresWins grid account for your meteoric rise up the Fetch Chess Ladder?

Stevce says: Yes safe to stop voting for me now JulesR (thank goodness he says !) SwimSlow – Wasn’t the Castle Challenge a great game?!, There were several great things about it, from the maps, the badges and the ability to see and work out how much you had to do to beat the dragon AND you could see where Stirling Slackers were and stalk them to oblivion – it was great to be able to bully him into acceptance of the need to do more! 😊
WhoSquaresWins – what another great game and if ever I get to the last 32 again, I have a strategy to get me to the last 16, I will be turning the hose on in my road and swimming some of the squares, getting my trike out and cycling the same bit, then running and walking the same bit, that should get me one square! Fetch Chess Ladder – I have only gone backwards on the ladder! With the divisions that we used to have, I loved playing GimmeMedals, and we had some great games, I was going great guns until the divisions got scrapped and I was heading for a badge, but now I am in mediocre space, getting beat more often then not ☹ and no chance of a badge ☹ ☹ ☹Still I enjoy the games and playing other Fetchies, we have some very talented people out there 😊

Nadders (aka monsenb1) asks: Congratulations Stevce. Why do you like to play your chess moves so quickly?

Stevce says: Ha ! Does it not show that I don’t like to think too much!!! LOL! I love playing several games at once, and as you have no doubt sussed out, my moves tend to be impulsive and not thoughtful (which is why there is only one way for me to go on the chess ladder !!!)

Many thanks to you all for your questions and to all two of you who voted for me, I promise now I will be good and not annoy you too much, I am looking forward to the Chester Marathon and meeting many Fetchies, who up until now have just been engaging keyboard pals, Stay fit, stay safe, be good, because Santa knows if you haven’t been! AND if I have one final thing to say, it is work out what is important to you, we only have a short time on this Earth, make the most of it!
Hugs and kisses to all Fetchies AND finally, oh no, I’ve already used that one ! In which case, bye for now!
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