Mary Whitaker

Mary's Hever Castle Sprint Triathlon page

Fundraising for Alzheimer's Research UK
£65
raised of £1,000 target
Donations cannot currently be made to this page
Hever Castle Sprint Triathlon, 22 September 2018
We stand for everyone affected by dementia to find a cure

Story

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My lovely husband Richard and I are now nearly 3 years into his diagnosis of Early onset Alzheimers disease - he is  58.  As you can imagine our family life has changed dramatically and everything revolves around adapting to his ever changing ability to function cognitively.  

We are very involved in research as this feels right for us - we have top medics monitoring every aspect of Richards health and this is reassuring for us on an otherwise desolate path.  Providing data for the 'big picture' is all we can do and we hope that one day this input will result  in the end of this devastating disease.

I thoroughly recommend anyone diagnosed with, or caring for, someone with this disease, to register  with Dementia  Research and get constant updates on news and front line medical trial information.

Right now we are about to start a new trial with Re:cognition Health who we have been involved with for 3 years.  Their care and attention offer a real 'anchor' for us while we thrash about with daily management of the disease.

My Triathlon Event  is really a personal goal - something to focus on just for myself.  I am not a natural athlete by any stretch of the imagination but keeping healthy has now become a serious priority - and the snatched moments of training also work as therapy for me!

Originally, Richard was going to join me in this event but it  gradually became apparent that the the transition phases would have been too confusing and disorientating for him - however he was a great cycle training buddy and led the cheer leading on the day.  

I was thrilled to finish the event on one piece without any stops, (although getting out of the wetsuit was a bit of a struggle!) and was surprised to see that even though I didn't break any world records, my timings were all above the average for my age group.  At the finish my  endorphins were so high that I signed up for next year!

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About the charity

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity. We’re striving for a cure, by revolutionising the way we treat, diagnose and prevent dementia.

Donation summary

Total raised
£65.00
+ £15.00 Gift Aid
Online donations
£65.00
Offline donations
£0.00

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