Hi, I'm Damien and this is the first time I've ever done anything like this!

I'm 34 years old and to be honest I'm pretty unfit. I love my food and I don't exercise nearly enough. Consequently, I'm overweight and out of breath pretty quickly when trying to play football with my work-mates! So I've just started running to improve my fitness and hopefully lose some of the beer belly! I'm currently 13 stone 4 lbs, and I'm aiming to lose at least a stone!

My friend Joe asked me if I wanted to join him on the Great South Run, to help raise money for Diabetes UK. My Grandad has diabetes, so I jumped at the chance.

The Great South Run is Europe’s most popular 10 mile race and started life in Southampton back in 1990 before moving just a few miles along the M27 motorway to the neighbouring city of Portsmouth 12 months later.

When I mentioned the idea to some friends and colleagues, their initial reaction was that I'd never be able to complete the race! So, I'm determined to prove them wrong and raise money for a good cause in the process.

With the support of my friends and family, I'm going to get myself in shape. Then, in October, not only am I going to do the Great South Run, I am going to do it in a respectable time, too!

Diabetes UK is the charity for people with diabetes, their family, friends and carers. Their mission is to improve the lives of people with the condition and work towards a future without diabetes.

They are one of the largest patient organisations in Europe. They stand up for the interests of people with diabetes by campaigning for better standards of care. They are one of the largest funder in the UK of research into better treatments for diabetes and the search for a cure.

They also provide practical support, information and safety-net services to help people manage their diabetes. You can read more information about these services on their website - http://www.diabetes.org.uk

Your generous donation can help improve their chances of preventing or curing diabetes. Please sponsor me.

Thanks in advance for all your support!

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