For those that know me well know that in 2020 I couldn’t run 3km without stopping, my fitness was awful my Seizures had got more frequent and I had opened up discussions of Brain Surgery with my Consultant!

I felt totally out of control, after a conversation with my family, the only thing I could control was my diet and my physical fitness, so I did! And in doing so committed to raising funds and awareness for the Epilepsy Society.

Marathons and Ultra Marathons later and here I am, still fighting and still shouting as loud as I can to raise awareness for Epilepsy Sufferers where ever I can!

So what's next, well Cycling isn't my thing! So that's obviously why I will be cycling from Petersfield in Hampshire to Manchester within 48 hours, covering 393.75 kilometres (244.6 miles!) before taking on the Manchester Marathon the following day!

If that's not enough I am being chaperoned by the Duathlon Dudes, Kieran and Pete who will be riding the 244.6 miles with me to ensure I don't have a seizure along the way (oh and I don't forget to take my MEDS!) whilst David has kindly agreed to be a support crew in a car!

After being diagnosed with Epilepsy in 2010 at the age of 30, after a unexpected seizure in my sleep, I fell into a state of depression, a state that pushed me to the edge, constantly trying to destroy my life and contemplating suicide.

Like so many invisible disabilities Epilepsy is hard to explain, its more than a seizure or the physical signs you see. Its the anxiety of not knowing when, it’s the burden you feel on those around you and the lower status in the world you feel you have.

But, mainly it’s the added pressure you put upon yourself to cover all this up and show the world you are ok. The look you get when you wear a bracelet, the questions you get when you show a disabled rail pass or the way you avoid it during an interview to the fear you have during an occupational health review.

And that’s where the Epilepsy Society have come in for me, that’s where they have helped me with my ongoing testing, the 24/7 attention offered by their Nurses hotline and also the advice from my consultant.

BUT funding is low, consultants appointments are only every year to 18 months and the nurses and researchers are stretched and that’s why we need your help PLEASE, I can run, cycling and suffer the pain, but it’s your donations that REALLY MATTER 💜💜💜

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