In 2017 I set off from the small Cotswold village of Broadwell with my cycling buddies for a training ride. I was training for the Staffordshire Ironman. I remember someone laughing aloud as we set off. The next thing I remember was lying on the verge of a country lane, choking on blood as it cascaded down my face.

A helicopter ambulance was hovering above me; it landed in an adjacent field. I was later told that a doctor jumped out and tended to me as I slipped in and out of consciousness. They took me by ambulance to the John Radcliff hospital. All I remember - to my horror -  was the doctor cutting off my expensive cycling jacket with a pair of scissors and wrapping me up in bubble wrap.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery ward. My left wrist was badly broken and in plaster, as was my right hand which the surgeon later told me was one of the worst hand breaks she had ever seen.

Later I was told I also had a broken eye socket and cheek-bone – which would be treated two days later with titanium plates. I was also told that I had sustained a brain haemorrhage, and that the brain would reabsorb the blood, so no surgery needed. This should have freaked me out, but for some reason I remained very calm.

There were also deep lacerations to my forehead along with bruised ribs and a shoulder impingement. I was unconscious for over 12 hours, and to this day I remember nothing.

For the previous twelve months I had been experiencing a mild hand tremor. It may have contributed to my trauma, who knows. 

I was later advised to give up triathlons, so sadly sold my bikes
- including my beloved Cevello S3 - and concentrated on getting fit again. I had experienced a lot of muscle wastage. I was also undergoing brain injury therapy to help me with depression, along with other symptoms associated with a brain injury. 

Twelve months later, with my hand tremor getting worse, I was
diagnosed with Parkinson’s; my handwriting had virtually gone, along with my sense of smell, taste and slight balance issues. It didn’t come as a complete surprise as I sort of already knew, thanks to “Dr Google”! In a strange way, it was a relief to have it confirmed.

In the meantime I attended a talk organised by NABS (the support
organisation for people like me who work or have worked in the ad industry). What intrigued me to attend was a speaker by the name of Luke Tyburski, an endurance athlete. His story inspired me – he discovered that extreme endurance feats helped him with his own depression. It’s as if he was talking about my life. It got me thinking….

Meanwhile, other unpleasant symptoms were also emerging, and my depression was getting worse. I found the Parkinson’s diagnosis still very hard to accept, being on top of the brain injury that I was also still dealing with.

I went through a number of different types of medication, until eventually I was prescribed Ropinirole which seemed to work, my hand tremor was a lot better. Despite my medication, I was still in a dark place. The only relief was my running, which I had done ever since I left school. I ran everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 miles, other days 7 or 8. Then I started running further and further 25 – 38 miles. I had run marathons, and full Ironman…so you can see where this is going. But, I missed not having a race to focus on. I’d been thinking of running an ultra marathon for some time. So I entered one and for the first time since my accident I felt better ­– I had a sense of purpose. The longer the distances I ran, the better I felt.

It was out training for my first ultra that the idea of running from John O’Groats to Land’s End for Parkinson’s first came to me. The thought stuck with me and grew and grew. I discussed it with Nicky my partner, who to my surprise was very positive - she said "go for it" -  so I started planning it in my head.

The only problem was my own self-doubt that I could do it and the real fear of letting people down. So I emailed Luke, not for one minute expecting a response, but to my surprise he did. We arranged to speak over the phone and it was his words of encouragement, along with his advice that finally gave me the confidence to commit to taking on the challenge of running from John O’Groats to Lands End - over 32 back-to-back marathons - next July 2021.

I'm seriously apprehensive (after all, I’m 63 years old with Parkinson’s!) but I remain doggedly determined to complete it.

Please give what you can and help find a cure for Parkinson’s. Thank you.