Pregnant girlfriend's tribute to Leicester teacher killed in bike crash
PE teacher Mark Elkington, 29, died on the A47, near Skeffington, while riding his beloved bike.
His girlfriend of nine years, Sam Shilton, who is expecting their first child in five months, said: "He died doing what he loved. He did so much for me. He took care of everything.
"Whenever I was worried or scared, he would put his arms around me and make it all go away. He would hug me and everything would be okay.
"It doesn't seem real. I keep expecting him to walk through the door and ask what all the fuss is about."
Mark, of Thurnby Lodge, Leicester – a former pupil of Alderman Newton School – had been out for a ride on Sunday morning and was returning home when he was in collision with a grey Nissan Navara 4x4.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sam, also 29, has moved forward the date of a scan to determine the sex of their baby so she knows before the funeral.
She said: "I was desperate for a girl, he really wanted a boy. Now I want it to be a boy. For him."
Sam has been inundated with messages of support from the children Mark taught at Stonehill High School, in Birstall.
He had devoted himself to encouraging youngsters who were struggling to make a success of their lives.
One boy wrote to Sam: "I will do well in my life. I will make him proud."
Mark's dad, Richard, of Glenfield, said: "He was a real role model to them and he put his heart and soul into it.
He said to me: 'If I can make a difference to just one of them, it will have been worth it'."
Richard will go for "one last ride" with his son, as his body is taken by motorcycle to his funeral. He said: "It'll be hard but he loved to go out on his bike with his dad."
Mark was a successful bodybuilder and won a national competition last year.
Richard said: "He was nothing like the typical ignorant bodybuilder some people might be expecting. He would do anything for anyone.
"He was positive about everything, always wanted to be the best, hated bullying – that's why kids respected him."
He taught at Stonehill for two years and at Longslade Community College before that.
The schools are planning to hold memorial services.
Stonehill head teacher Alan Monks said: "He is a massive loss to the school. I could not think of a more perfect role model for the students.
"He had an unswerving belief in young people. This led to a growth in self-belief of the young people in his care.
"Everyone is devastated. The school has decided we must keep the work he started going."
Mark's funeral takes place at Gilroes Cemetery, Leicester, at 4pm on Thursday, December 3.
Anyone is welcome to attend. Rather than flowers, people can make donations to Stonehill to help it continue Mark's project to encourage pupils.
Mark Elkington died in a motorbike crash
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