To date I’ve completed 13 London Marathons but on Sunday  2^nd October I’ll be running a solo marathon near my home as I wasn’t fortunate enough to gain a place in the ballot this year. It will be the first time I’ll be running the marathon virtually.

In previous marathons I’ve supported a number of charities but this year I’ll be running exclusively for the ME Association. ME / CFS is a serious long-term illness that causes extreme fatigue and affects multiple body systems. There are over 250,000 people with ME in the UK alone.   

My wife explains why I'm running: 

“My daughter, Anna, who is 32, always enjoyed taking
part in outdoor activities such as horse-riding, hiking and triathlons and was a particularly strong swimmer. A move to Australia offered an active outdoor lifestyle in a good climate. She even qualified as a volunteer Life Saver at Bondi Beach. 

However, things changed for Anna in early 2021 when
she picked up a non-covid infection. Despite many visits to see doctors, her life became more and more restricted. Earlier this year, she was diagnosed with ME / CFS.  

She has had to stop work, limit both physical and
cognitive activities to 20 minutes at a time and needs help with daily domestic tasks. She has severe headaches and cannot tolerate light even indoors when these headaches occur. Her eyesight has suddenly gone from 20/20 vision to needing glasses. When she has a crash, she finds it hard to get out of bed. Sleep, when it comes, is not restorative.”

ME / CFS is a cruel illness that needs to have raised
awareness; that needs targeted help as it’s seriously underfunded; that desperately needs more research undertaken to find the cause, treatment and a cure.

Any money I raise will go to the ME Association’s Ramsay Research Fund. As seen with the Covid vaccine, the UK is a leader in cutting edge research and any progress can only be for the good of everyone everywhere who is affected by ME / CFS and now Long Covid. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please support my fundraising if you can by using the blue "give now" buttons on this page.

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