Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Where to start? I guess, answering why at nearly forty two have I started blogging and signed up for an ultra marathon, would be a good place!

Well, those that know me, know that my three year old daughter was born with a very rare genetic disorder. The main consequence of which is intractable epilepsy, which as it has progressed,  looks to be life limiting. For those of you that would like to know more about Evelyn, please go to www.evelynrose.org.

The last couple of years have been extremely difficult for us, that is my wife Debbie and six year old son, Fergus.  Last year in particular, we were unsure whether Evelyn was going to make it home from her last hospital admission. With the help of the incredible doctors and nurses at Southampton General Hospital, the continuing support of the community team, Naomi House respite/hospice and Rosewood Free School, Evelyn not only made it home but is starting to regain a little normality.

With the support of my amazing wife, I have taken a break from my career as a primary school teacher and am now officially Evelyn’s carer. We have no idea how long Evelyn will (truly) grace us with her presence but she continues to dig deep, and so will we.

Which brings me back to the original question.

We are blessed to have Evelyn here. However, this has only been possible thanks to great number of dedicated professionals. Many of these people and their organisations rely on charitable donations to exist and provide their services. I really wanted to give something back, hence the 5K to 100K challenge.

Training? Has already included the 20 mile Stonehenge Stomp,The Bramley 20/10 (20 mile road race). This weekend, the Manchester marathon and various other shorter and longer training events leading up to The Race To The Stones. I hope to raise as much as possible to help fund these fantastic groups and institutions that have not just saved our little girl, but countless others.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.