Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Two separate incidents years apart have given me the drive to take part in this challenge.  In June 1988 my mum was admitted to hospital with chest pains.  After a day of tests we as a family were told she had had a heart attack.  However she was a strong women and with correct medication and care would be able to lead a fairly normal life.  Having left the hospital positive and glad mum would soon be home the bottom fell out of my world less than 24 hours later.  That phone call we never want at work.  The look on everyone's face when I walked into the main office.  And the world stopping when and not hearing the end of the sentence that started "We're really sorry but your mum...…….."  I was a mummy's boy, the youngest in the family and the bottom of my world had fallen out and I had to adapt to the big wide world quickly,  Fast forward to 2008.  A whole lifetime later.  I'd never got over losing mum but you learn to cope.  You live with the memories and wanting to make them proud.  So sitting at work I get a phone call from Egypt.  My brother who was my  rock, ideal and best mate had died of a one in a million heart attack on the 2nd day of his holiday.  The feeling was similar to 1988.  You go numb, you go into shock and then you suffer the guilt.  "I never got the chance to say goodbye",  "I wish I'd have...……….."  "What could I have done".  Life has a habit of dealing you a bad hand and then you have a choice to make the difference.  My choice get out of my comfort zone and push myself.  I will fall off, get saddle sore, lose at least one item that I need, laugh at the wrong times and cry my eyes out at the finish.  However I am doing this in the memory of 2 people I miss every day.  At the end of this event (providing I haven't fallen into a river)  I will raise a glass in the memory of them both and also of the friends along the way I have lost to this horrible illness.  If you dig in your pockets to sponsor me it's for those people we've all lost along the way.  Thank you for reading