Team Gilbert - Liam and Grace...

Are taking on the toughest footrace in the world in April and heading to the Sahara Desert for Marathon des Sables. 

MdS is a six day ultra marathon footrace covering over 250 km. This equates to roughly one marathon a day for six days. Within the race, you are fully self-sufficient carrying everything you need (food, clothes, cooking equipment, sleeping bag etc) and water is rationed throughout the race.... it isnt for the faint hearted! 

Grace is familiar with endurance events having completed 8x ironman races and recently finishing the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawai'i. She also took part in MdS in 2019, where unfortunately things didnt go to plan. She managed 73% of the race, and got medically evacuated during the long stage. She was literally plucked off the sand, and moved immediately to medical for two days before being removed from the desert for medical attention back in the nearest town. Safe to say, Grace, the heat and the sun are not super compatible. Fast forward 3 years and that itch has only got worse, and with unfinished business, she is heading back to finish. With more experience under her belt, 3 years worth of additional run training and exposure to hot humid environments, such as Kona, she feels ready to take on this monster challenge once more and secure that medal at the end.

Liam - alot less familiar with endurance events. Usually found on the rugby pitch, or propping up the bar after a game... or being chief supporter and bag carrier for Grace during triathlon. It is safe to say MdS is WELL outside his comfort zone and a challenge of a lifetime. Standing at 6"4 with the build of a strong second-row, ultra running and desert environments are not where you'd expect Liam to feel happiest. However, with the concern for letting Grace loose in the desert for a second time (after what happened in 2019), coupled with the desire to put the bag carrying to the test, he is ready to take it on, and get to that finish line to share the experience of a lifetime.

Collectively, Team Gilbert are fundraising for the amazing charity Walk Once More, the spinal injury charity. They are focused on finding a cure for spinal cord injuries. Historically, once the spinal cord was damaged, it meant a life of paralysis and a myriad of associated problems. 

However, it has now been proven in animal models that the spinal cord can indeed be regenerated, and this needs to be translated for use in patients as soon as is safely possible. A severe lack of funding still remains a major roadblock in moving these promising therapies from the laboratory to human clinical trials. Walk Once More are committed to supporting the bridging of this gap. They are the only charity close to finding a cure, and making huge progress within this field. 

Imagine being given a second chance to walk?! 

We are going to be running (well, more likely WALKING) through the Sahara in aid of this AMAZING charity to help find a cure. We personally have been affected by spinal injuries, with Grace having had two back procedures, her Dad having a fully re-built metal neck cage from a spinal injury, and a close friend of Liam being quadriplegic from a rugby injury. It is a cause close to our heart and we hope we can contribute to finding a cure for life changing treatment. 

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