Andy took on a crazy challenge on January 18th to run the Oman Desert Marathon in memory of Michael Scott. It is a 165 km race over five days. The race started from the Oasis of Alwasil and finished at Al Jawharat in Bediyah. There were five stages of 42 km, 32 km, 40 km, 30 km (night run) and 21 km. Each runner had be self-sufficient, as they were required to carry all their equipment, sleeping bag and food as well as everything they need for five days, except for water that was provided at the checkpoints every 10 km. Andy completed the run in 29 hours, 2 minutes and 45 seconds! The temperatures reached up to the mid 30s during the day. He came 20th overall and unofficially the fastest over 50! He was physically very tired but otherwise survived it well with just four toenails down! A massive thank you to everyone for their incredible support.

Michael was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) in 2017 with a life expectancy of 2-5 years. A condition his father also had. In people with IPF, the tiny air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) become damaged and increasingly scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult. It's not clear what causes it and there is no cure or treatment for IPF, which is why the charity Breathing Matters is supporting University College London (UCL) Respiratory research.

Professor Joanna Porter is one of the charity's Executive team and was Michael's consultant. She is the Medical Director and Clinical Lead of Lung Fibrosis for Breathing Matters and a Consultant in Respiratory and General Medicine at UCLH and a Reader in the Department of Medicine at UCL.

Breathing Matters’ mission is to raise awareness and inspire fundraising for research into pulmonary fibrosis and lung infection. They strive to improve the lives of every pulmonary fibrosis patient by funding vital research into treatments and cures, and by improving awareness and knowledge of these conditions.

Founded in 2011, Breathing Matters’ philosophy is to ensure every pound raised is directed towards the research (not overheads), with 99% directed straight to research in recent years. They support research carried out at University College London Hospital (UCLH) and UCL Respiratory, one of the world’s leading research centres for respiratory diseases.

You can find out more at www.breathingmatters.co.uk.