Julie Chappell

Julie's page

Fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease Association
£2,297
raised of £1,000 target
Donations cannot currently be made to this page
Pyrenean Traverse, 30 June 2012
We fund care, campaigning and research to achieve a world free from MND

Story

Thanks very much for visiting my JustGiving page.

My mum says I'm completely mad and I'm beginning to think she's right...

During the first week of July I'm riding my bike from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean through the Pyrenees, a distance of 710km (441 miles) in 6 days. It's not the distance that worries me so much as the size of the mountains - I will be climbing a total of 11,000 metres (36,000 feet) which is the equivalent of riding up Everest, Ben Nevis and Snowdon in one week (now I've written that down, I've started panicking!)

Trying not to underestimate the challenge, I've been training hard and so far I have put over 2200 miles on my road bike as well as commuting to work by bike and doing 2 spin classes a week whenever possible whilst juggling work and family life.

I have had to lose weight to get over the mountains (but because I'm really rubbish at it I've had to lose some of it more than once!) and I've had to seriously cut down on the wine and chocolate (those who know me well will know how much that has hurt!). I've also crashed into both a Renault and a very hard road surface leaving a lot of scars to remind me that pulling out at a junction without looking properly is a bad idea. I'm just hoping that all the effort and training will pay off once I'm slogging my way up the mountains ...

And this is where you all come in - I have 2 more weeks of training left, which I will be doing during the Motor Neurone Disease Association's June 2012 Month for Optimism and it would really help motivate me on the last leg of my training and keep me going during what will probably be the hardest week of my life if I could see my efforts translate into a donation to this very worthwhile charity.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive disease that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting. MND can affect how people walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe and there is no cure.

The MNDA does amazing work supporting sufferers of MND and their carers in very practical ways with information, publications, Association visitors (of whom my mother is one in Wolverhampton), equipment loan and financial support when it is needed the most. Any money I raise will go the Wolverhampton and Dudley branch of the MNDA so my mum may think I'm mad  - but at least she and her clients will see first hand the benefits of my lunacy!

Any donation, however small, very gratefully received. Thank you so much for reading my page and I will think of you all as I grind my way up those mountains...

Julie

x

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Share this story

Help Julie Chappell

Sharing this page with your friends could help raise up to 3x more in donations

You can also help by sharing this link on

About the charity

The MND Association focuses on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those living with or affected by MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you or a loved one need practical or emotional support, call our Connect Helpline on 0808 802 6262, Mon to Fri between 9am and 4pm.

Donation summary

Total raised
£2,297.00
+ £408.50 Gift Aid
Online donations
£1,804.00
Offline donations
£493.00

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.