I've been known to take on some crazy or some might say stupid challenges before but this will be my craziest by far. 

On the 5th of March 2022 I will be taking on the Advanced Trans Gran Canaria ultramarathon in Gran Canaria. This consists of a 65km (40 Mile) run in the mountains of Gran Canaria, if that wasn't enough it also involves 2,509 metres of ascent (8232 ft)!!! 

Due to the nature of how crazy this is I wanted to raise some money for a charity which will also help to motivate me along my training journey. If you want to follow me along my journey I'll be posting my training on Strava. 

The charity I have chosen is Derian House which is a Children's Hospice based in Chorley. They have been a massive help to a friend and colleague of mine Steve and his partner Tanita as they welcomed their child Alfie into the world in May 2021. 

https://www.transgrancanaria.net/en/advanced/ (link to event)

A message from Alfie’s parents (Steve & Tanita)

"Alfie was born in May 2021 and suffered a brain injury during birth where the blood and oxygen supply to his brain was cut off. This is called HIE, which stands for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. HIE has caused Alfie multiple difficulties and caring for him is challenging. It has been clear since he was born that he will have an uncertain future as his condition could be potentially life limiting.

After Alfie was discharged from Oldham Hospital at 10 weeks old we went to Derian House in Chorley which is a charity that provides respite and end of life care for Children. The team are incredible and supported us with the transition to home, not only when we were discharged but also during our time on NICU. As you can imagine leaving hospital was a terrifying time for us, learning how to look after a very poorly baby on our own but the staff at Derian House helped us every step of the way. They were on hand for advice when needed and the facilities & activities in the hospice are incredible (Alfie had his first music session and spent time in the sensory room and did a bit of finger painting). Our one week stay there helped build the confidence we needed to get us home as a family.

Derian House are continuing to support us going forward and we are really excited for our next stay where we plan on having more quality time as a family away from the chaos of everyday life and we cannot thank Derian enough for the support they have given us.

This is only a small snippet of the support that Derian provides to hundreds of children with complex health needs and their families. Derian House help children and young people, whose lives are too short, to make happy memories in an environment of fun.

We would like to wish Sam all the best on his ultra marathon and thank him for his fundraising efforts for this amazing charity which has fast become close to our hearts!"

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.