Earlier this year, after months of discomfort, many medical appointments and a lot of stress, I was finally diagnosed with Cervical Dystonia (of the neck).

Dystonia is a rare neurological movement disorder, where incorrect signals from the brain cause uncontrollable and often painful muscle spasms. Although there is currently no cure, there is treatment available. For me, this means Botox injections every 3 months to hopefully block those dodgy brain signals!

There are different forms of Dystonia - neck, voice, jaw, hand, eye and generalised (all over). The condition can make it difficult to lead a normal life and the treatments available can have varying success. Many people affected are unable to continue doing the things they previously took for granted.

Although I have been a regular runner for 4/5 years prior to this, having run a number of marathons and beyond, make no mistake 13.1 miles in my current state will be a massive challenge! At times I have difficulty with my coordination, on top of the constant pain and discomfort (even the 5k parkruns are now an ordeal) but I am determined to complete this iconic half marathon.

The Dystonia Society is the only UK based charity for this condition. Despite severe cut backs, they offer much needed support to the 70,000 UK sufferers. My aim is to help raise awareness of Dystonia and as much money as possible to ultimately find a cure for this condition! 

Thanks for your support!