Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As most will know I am intending to take part in the Thruxton ‘Mass Attack’ Duathlon on Sunday 23 October 2011. A few of my family and friends have suggested that I seek sponsorship to help raise funds for a charity, which might help motivate me around the final stages of the 40Km track (5Km run, 30Km cycle & a final 5Km run).

With this in mind, I wish to tell you why I have chosen the well-known organisation I have decided to help. On the 12 February 1994 a weak child was born over 14 weeks premature spending the first few months fighting for his life in the special care unit, which at the time, I am ashamed to say had little emotional effect on me (as probably it would on most of us). However 2 years to the day on the 13 February 1996, my then 3 week old daughter stopped breathing after her evening feed (at 9.38pm) and within minutes I was being rushed by ambulance to the local A&E department with medical staff frantically trying to resuscitate her. Being in the position of having to remain calm for Jo and others, whilst doctors rushed around trying to revive Emma, whilst inside my heart and head were emotionally wrenching apart, especially when they were preparing to transfer her to Great Ormond Street (from Lowestoft) with a suspected heart defect. Luckily Emma survived, what turned out to be a bronchitis infection and is doing very well in her final GCSE year.

This time last year my brother experienced a similar heart wrenching moment with the birth of his third child, which brought the feelings of 15 years previously rushing back to me, which to this day I find hard to suppress.

We have been very fortunate as all three children mentioned here are very well thanks to the various hospitals which played a major part in their first moments on this planet we call home. I would therefore invite you to donate whatever you can afford to Great Ormond Street Hospital so that they can continue to help prevent children and their families suffering. With your help I would like to raise over £100, which would help save a childs life. I will donate a further £50 if this target is achieved and I succeed in jogging, cycling and hobbling around the daunting Thruxton circuit in less the 2 hours 30 minutes.

Thank you for reading and please pass on to lost friends and others who might help.

So please dig deep and donate now. Thanks again!