One year

One Year Without OlI

It still feels incredibly strange to write those words, and even harder to realise that an entire year has passed. Somehow, a year can go by incredibly quickly while, at the same time, feeling intensely slow.

It has been a year that has shown us, perhaps more clearly than ever, just how much of an impact Oli made. A year in which he has continued to be remembered, spoken about and missed by so many people. And a year filled with wonderful Oli stories, stories that make us smile, laugh and sometimes cry, but above all remind us of the person he was and the connections he created wherever he went.

It has also been a year in which four trustees have been trying to build something meaningful in his name.

Building the Oliver Geddes Foundation while navigating our own grief has not always been easy. Grief has its own way of affecting life, sometimes when you least expect it. But alongside that grief, there is something that continues to feel even stronger: the enormous amount of pride and love we carry for Oli.

That pride is at the heart of why we are doing this.

We want Oli’s name and legacy to continue within the martial arts community that meant so much to him. Not simply by remembering what he achieved, but by carrying forward something of who he was, what he stood for and the impact he had on the people around him.

Over the past year, we have been working behind the scenes to create the foundations for what comes next. We want to do this properly, thoughtfully and, most importantly, in a way that feels true to Oli.

We hope that very soon all the necessary formalities will be completed and that we can begin sharing our plans for the Oliver Geddes Foundation. And we will need the help of the martial arts community.

Plans that are rooted in something incredibly important to us: helping to fulfil Oli’s final wish.

We want to do that in a way that honours him. A way that reflects the person he was and the values he carried throughout his life. And a way that allows his legacy to continue making a difference within the martial arts community for years to come.

One year without Oli brings an enormous sense of sadness. But it also brings pride, love and determination.

And as we move into the next chapter of The Oliver Geddes Foundation, those are the things we will carry with us all.

For Oli, in his name, and for the legacy he left behind.