Thanks for taking the time to visit my just giving page. My story has been written for me by my wife Nadine so I thank you in advance for reading it.

The Marathon des Sables is ranked by Discovery Channel as the toughest footrace on earth.

Known simply as the MdS, this race is a gruelling six day multi-stage adventure in one of the world’s most inhospitable places - the Sahara Desert!

Gary will be required to carry everything he will need to survive and complete the event on his back. He will be given water at checkpoints and a place in a tent to sleep each night, but other than that all equipment and food must be carried by himself.

Gary is known by his family and friends to be a person that dedicates himself fully to any challenge he undertakes. He hopes that this will be a major personal achievement in his life. It may be a great challenge he faces in 2014, but the biggest challenge of his life so far was a number of years ago when he was involved in a motorcycle accident leaving him with a fractured spine. At this time I was unsure if he could walk again. His injuries were severe, but he fought through them. With that same commitment and dedication he gave to making a full recovery, he is now applying it again to the MdS.

His dedication in the past and present has inspired us all and has shown that anything is possible and all you need do is commit yourself 100% to make it happen.

Gary will be training in the Mourne Mountains regularly as part of his preparations for the MdS, so for him it is reassuring to know that should he get into trouble or become injured the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team are there to help. Hopefully he will never need that help!

The irony is, they need our help too and your generous donations. The Team is made up entirely of volunteers who live close to the Mourne Mountains and the surrounding area.

 Everyone on the team has something in common in that they are all highly skilled and experienced mountaineers who will turn out in all weathers, day or night, 365 days a year. The Team share a common purpose, to help anyone who is in trouble on the hills. This is  where I ask you to dig deep into your pockets and support Gary but most of all support our chosen charity,

The Mourne Mountain Rescue.

You can visit the MdS website by going to, www.marathondessables.co.uk

Thank you for reading Our Story.