In 2010, close family friend Gary Parkinson's life changed forever as a stroke left him in a critical condition. At age just 42, he was diagnosed with locked-in-syndrome, a disorder that leaves you cognitively sound but without the ability to move any part of your body. His only way of communicating is by blinking. The devastating condition means Gary needs 24 hour care.

To put daily life for Gary into perspective, please have a read of the linked Blog by Gary's son, Luke.

On 14th July 2019 , I'll be taking part in Ironman UK Bolton with the objective being to raise as much money to support Gary's rehabilitation as possible. The event consists of a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112 mile bike section with over 6000ft of climbing, followed by a marathon. As you can imagine, training for this event is gruelling; your donations don't just go towards one day's work, but hours spent climbing hills in the saddle, pounding the pavements ready for the marathon and early mornings embracing the less-than-preferable temperatures of Pennington Flash!

Thank you for taking the time to read about this fundraiser. Any donation you can make will help Gary make progress with his rehabilitation.