The Bogle is a 55 mile walk around Manchester that will last from the 1st till the 2nd of March.

http://www.manchesterrag.com/bogle/

Now, lets get down to the heart of it. Why am I walking/jogging 55 miles? Well I'll be straight with you it's not because I love walking/jogging and it's not to prove that I'm fitter than the average 23 year old. It's because an opportunity for me to do some good has presented itself.

There is nothing more important in life than health. Your health affects everything about you. Perhaps more important than your health is the health of those you love because we feel the effects of the illness just as acutely but we are unable to do anything for we know that everything that we are feeling about them being ill is mental. We're not the ones in hospital, and we're not the ones who have to take pill after pill, injection after injection and test after test. I'm not talking about ilnesses like the flu or even malaria not that those aren't serious illnesses. I'm talking about those with no cure like cancer and HIV/AIDS. I know that you can be cured of cancer but anyone that's seen anyone go through chemo will tell you that it's not quite a cure. There's no taking a single pill and coming out all rosy at the end. The cure itself is like a disease.

I believe that it isn't enough to sit on your laurels and wish everyone well. It isn't enough to mourn with the families of the affected. If all we did was mourn, then we would mourn until there was no one left. We have a moral right to galvanise ourselves into action. This isn't a story about the people I've lost to cancer. It's a story about the rest of my life. I know not everyone can walk or jog 55 miles. You have other commitments, some of you can't even do it physically but there's always something proactive that you can do. At the very least you can promote the cause. If you are so moved you can donate to the cause. If you haven't the means, then someone you know can donate to the cause.

I have chosen to give the proceeds of my fund raising efforts to the Ellen MacArthur Trust because they are a great charity. They teach children and young adults with cancer to sail. They help rebuild the self confidence of the ill by providing opportunities that some never thought that they'd have. For people that have spent long periods of time in hospital there can be no greater respite. The satisfaction that being out in the open with the sun, and the air and even the rain brings them is undoubtedly priceless.

The Trust was launched by the internationally-renowned sailor Ellen MacArthur on the 2nd of January 2003. In her words:

“These are really special kids. In many ways they are just they same as everyone else, they are interested in the same things as kids their age, they have the same goals in life, but the difference is that they do this with a huge challenge ahead of them.

I face challenges out on the water, but these are challenges that I choose to do. They on the other hand don’t have this luxury. They battle against something harder than many of us could ever imagine and they do it with the biggest smiles on their faces. To me they are truly inspirational and if the Trust can help them in their battle in any way then that is a fantastic achievement.”


If you do not give then still click on the link and share it on facebook, twitter, or google. You can even use Hi5, myspace and all the other long forgotten social media things. I'm hardly pedantic. If you are not on any of them then you can email the link around. You can do one, or do all. To those who have donated, Berie Graham, Toni Adeeyo, Ugo Mbakwe, Tapfuma Mutas, Lolia Etomi, Titilayo Awosemusi, Ayanam Udoma, Nefe Etomi, Anonymous, and James Eatwell, Beth Coe, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, Zainab Amusan, Nneka Agbim, Charlotte Johnon and all the other Anonymouses thank you! To those of you who have shared and tweeted, I thank you too unfortunately I cannot name you all, but your contribution is just as appreciated.

Happy Days,
Afam