Edward Thomas
Ed's 2020 WedShred for the Deaf Children's Society
Fundraising for The National Deaf Children's Society
Story
Losing weight for a good cause! #WedShredEd 🏃🏼♂️
In August 2020 I am marrying my best friend Zoe in the vineyards in France. Exciting or what?! 😍
Like most anticipant grooms, the excesses of Christmas have ensured an extra degree of trepidation for me around an age-old wedding question - will I fit into my suit?
Running is something that I genuinely despise, but its also very good for the waistline; so with that in mind I have decided to run a 10km or Half Marathon Race every month between January and August - totalling 100km, with various friends joining me along the way.
Why The Deaf Children's Society? 🧏🏻♀️
Leaving aside my own struggle with my appetite, the Deaf Children's Society is a cause that is particularly close to my heart. Some of you may not know that my lovely wife-to-be Zoe suffers from acute hearing loss, and has worn hearing-aids since the age of 19.
Having been born deaf, Zoe struggled through her childhood and teenage years without any assistance, with her limited hearing often meaning she had to rely on lip reading to get by in school.
You wouldn't know it when you meet her, but even with her hearing aids in Zoe's disability means she encounters hardship on a daily basis in her work and social interactions. She always takes this in her stride (and with her signature ear-to-ear smile), but after nearly 5 years together I now have learnt just how difficult and exhausting life can be for those who suffer from hearing loss.
On the other hand, Zoe's disability brings us many good laughs together; with some incidents of her mis-hearing sentences ranging from the absurd to the downright inappropriate! And even better, she's never had any problem with my snoring - so I am counting my blessings! 😴
We both realise just how lucky we are to be from privileged backgrounds and to be able to tackle life together with great support from our families and friends. Many deaf children don't have this luxury.
More information on the charity 👂🏽
The Deaf Children's Society aims to overcome the social and educational barriers that hold deaf children back. The Charity aims to educate the general public on its 5 core beliefs:
1. Deaf children can do anything other children can do, given the right support from the start.
2. Effective language and communication skills lie at the heart of deaf children and young people’s social, emotional and intellectual development.
3. Families are the most important influence on deaf children and young people, and need clear, balanced information to make informed choices.
4. Deaf children should be involved in decisions which affect them as early as possible.
5. Deaf children should be valued by society and have the same opportunities as any other child.
You can find out about the work the charity does and fundraising at https://www.ndcs.org.uk/
If you want to join me on a run - let me know! I will need all the support I can get.