Clarky’s Marathon Appeal.

For many a year in my youth, I vowed I would never become a ‘MAMIL’ (Middle Aged Man In Lycra), and thinking it wouldn’t happen to me. Little did I know that an affliction that affects the majority of men in their 40’s, would strike me down so ruthlessly – MID LIFE CRISIS!! So here I am at the tender age of 44 attempting my 1^stmarathon.  But joking aside there is also a very good reason close to my heart why I am doing this run.

Around 3 years ago my wife was diagnosed with LUPUS. At the time I had not heard of this medical condition. Since then I have witnessed 1^st hand what a debilitating condition it can be.

LUPUS is currently incurable and can be fatal

Systemic lupus is a chronic and presently-incurable disease of the immune system, a condition in which the body’s defence mechanism begins to attack itself through an excess of antibodies in the blood stream causing Inflammation and damage in the joints, muscles and other organs. 

Almost any organ or system of the body can be affected in this form of lupus. In most patients, only the skin and joints are affected (this is called minor organ threatening lupus). In others, SLE also affects the kidneys, lungs, heart, blood vessels and/or brain (this is major organ-threatening lupus).

In the UK approximately 3 in 10,000 people are thought to have lupus.

I have chosen Lupus UK as my beneficiary charity and will be running the 2015 London Marathon on 26^th April on their behalf. I have also just competed in the 2015 Silverstone Half marathon as a warm up event. I am aiming to raise in excess of £1000 for the charity so I am looking for your kind donations. You can go to my ‘Just giving’ page via https://www.justgiving.com/shaunclark1970/

Thanks in advance for your support.

Clarky (Shaun Clark)