Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

For those of you who dont know me: My name is Benoit Gamard and I am a person who loves challenges

After a few years of working in Beijing, the routine of business dinners and late nights in bars with beers and cigarettes started to wear me out and I was looking to make a change to my lifestyle. This was also the time I got married and we started thinking about a family. After running my first marathon last year I gradually became more and more interested in doing triathlons (swim, bike, run) and have done quite a few short distance races so far. I felt I needed more, so I put myself the goal to compete in my first IRONMAN distance triathlon in September this year.

What is an IRONMAN, many of us wonder. When I tell people, that I have to swim 3.8km then bike for 180km before finishing the race with an entire marathon (42.195km) , they usually just look at me, shake their heads in disbelieve and think I am crazy. They wanna know how I even get prepared well enough for such an event in the blasting heat of Beijing summers, the brutal cold of Beijing winters and, we all complain about it, the horrible air pollution, all the while having a full time job, a family and needing to travel a lot for business.

What it takes is very simple: Determination, perseverence and never stopping to believe in your dream. What it took for me was to set up my own home gym fully equipped with air filters, a stationary bike I rode through many long international conference calls; a treadmill for hot, freezing or bad air days, a group of biking friends and a supporting wife, who would accompany me on many swims, rides or runs, act as my nutritionist and mental coach.

With this race, I want to make a change. I want to encourage people to follow their dreams and to never let anybody stop you from pursuing them.

 I support SCOPE in their efforts for Children with disabilities. We all know of someone who is affected by disease, now is your chance to help out!

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Disabled people are twice as likely to live below the poverty line as non-disabled people and that's before the extra costs of disability are taken into account.

Being disabled or caring for a disabled person may have an impact on your financial situation by:

• Reducing your income
• Increasing your living expenses
• Requiring you to purchase expensive items
• Increasing your travel costs

Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects muscle control and movement. It is usually caused by an injury to the brain before, during or after birth.

Children with cerebral palsy have difficulties in controlling muscles and movements as they grow and develop.

Does cerebral palsy change?

Cerebral palsy itself is not progressive; the injury to the brain does not change. However, the effects may change over time for better or worse. Read more about CP and ageing.

Is there a cure for cerebral palsy?

There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but physiotherapy and other therapies can often help people with cerebral palsy become more independent.

No two people will be affected by their cerebral palsy in the same way, and it is important to ensure treatments and therapies are tailored to your child’s individual needs.

How common is cerebral palsy?

In the UK, cerebral palsy affects about one in every 400 children. Cerebral palsy can affect people from all social backgrounds and ethnic groups.

What causes cerebral palsy?

There may be no obvious single reason why a child has cerebral palsy. The main causes of cerebral palsy include:

• Infection in the early part of pregnancy
• Lack of oxygen to the brain
• Abnormal brain development
• A genetic link (though this is quite rare)

What can increase the chances of cerebral palsy?

The following factors can increase the likelihood of cerebral palsy:

• Difficult or premature birth
• Twins or multiple birth
• Mother’s age being below 20 or over 40
• Father under 20 years
• First child or fifth (or more) child
• Baby of low birth weight (less than 2.5 pounds)
• Premature birth (less than 37 weeks)

A combination of the above (such as low birth weight and being a twin) can further increase the probability of cerebral palsy. Read about clinical negligence.

Types of cerebral palsy

There are three main types of cerebral palsy. Many people with cerebral palsy will have a mixture of these types.

• Spastic cerebral palsy
• Dyskinetic cerebral palsy
• Ataxic cerebral palsy

No two people with cerebral palsy are affected in the same way. Some have cerebral palsy so mildly that it’s barely noticeable. Others may be profoundly affected and require help with many or all aspects of daily life. Read the lives and stories of people with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy: associated conditions

Some people with cerebral palsy may have associated conditions; while others may not. These can include:

• Learning difficulty (although children with cerebral palsy cover the same range of intelligence as other children)
• Epilepsy (up to a third of children with cerebral palsy)
• Hearing impairment (only 8% of children)
• Problems with sleep
• Communication difficulties
• Feeding difficulties
• Drooling
• Problems with toileting
• Spatial awareness and perception
• Behaviour issues (one in four children with cerebral palsy)
• Periventricular leukomalacia