Hi, I'm Matty!

I'm trying to raise funds and awareness for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, through my love of parkrun - the free, weekly, timed 5k events taking place in parks all over the world.

My aim is to complete a "Spell-it-Out" challenge, running 17 different parkrun courses across England, with the first letter of each parkrun event spelling out the words "MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS".

In early 2017 I had a freak trampolining accident which left me with long-lasting nerve, back and ankle issues. Being forced to spend 2 years away from running hit me hard, both physically and mentally. At times I seriously wondered if I would ever be able to run again and I found that incredibly difficult to deal with.

Thankfully I am now running again and I am very grateful to be regaining strength after my injuries but I am reminded that not everyone is that fortunate. I am mindful that many would be grateful to walk without struggling, let alone run.

My own experience inspired me to dream up this challenge, along with the fact that a close family member of mine has MS. Seeing how it affects him and those around him makes me want to help in some way...so I'm hopefully going to raise some money for those less fortunate than myself, through no fault of their own.....

Since 1953, the UK-wide MS Society charity has been working to find a cure and put a stop to MS, whilst in the meantime providing information and a supportive community for those affected and campaigning for better care.

MS is a chronic, neurological condition which affects more than 100,000 people in the UK - men, women and children. It happens when the body's immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, by mistake, causing damaging lesions/scarring. Symptoms and severity vary from person to person but, until a cure is found, it's a life-long, debilitating condition for all and can cause serious disability and mobility issues.

Hope you'll agree - the MS Society is a deserving cause. Please join me in trying to make a difference.....we need a cure and every little really helps!

Thanks for reading,

Matty

Please follow my progress via my MS parkrun Challenge blog: https://parkrunningforms.blogspot.com

For more info on Multiple Sclerosis & the MS Society click here: https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms

More info on parkrun: https://www.parkrun.org.uk

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