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First thing I have to say is that I am definitely NOT a runner lol.
2 years ago my dad contracted prostate cancer. I am very close to the 'the old man' and it hit me for six. I cant imagine what he and thousands like him go through, both physically and mentally.
Anyway, with that in mind, I wanted to do something challenging and as someone who has never run, the London marathon was a very fitting way of raising money and awareness, doing something good and pushing me to my limits
I have lost over 2 stone, I have stopped smoking and only started training in Jan of this year. Not only will the challenge help thousands of people suffering of prostate cancer, it has also changed my life.
I have now applied and been accepted for the disney marathon next January. I couldnt has seen myself saying that 3 months ago.
I am short of my target amount and appreciate every penny of evey donation.
If you view my donation site at www.justgiving.com/johnmoran0, you will also find some very 'closet' photographs of my past and my brush with fame!!! lol - enjoy
Love the photos
I think there's a story there that may need some explaining one day.
I am running for Leukaemia Care and very pleased that they accepted me.
I watch the Marathon on telly every year and every year I say I wanna do that and the do nothing about it.
My reason for choosing a leukaemia charity is this...I have a friend who I have known for many years and shared some great times with, she ended up marrying another friend of ours and they really are a wonderful couple. Anyway they were blessed with a beautiful baby boy who brought great joy and happiness to their lives (and ours). When their baby was 14mths old my friend was finally diagnosed with leukaemia after months of things not being 'quite right'. It was such a shock to everyone that this wonderful, healthy young woman could be so ill.
She underwent months of treatment, chemo and radiotherapy, she lost her hair and her treatment left her unable to have anymore children, but she's in remission and has been for sometime. Her and her family are thriving and we are all so glad to have her back.
She and her husband put on a charity night every year, to raise money for Leukaemia charities, which we all attend and it is always the Friday of marathon weekend. After attending last year and being reminded of how lucky I am, I was watching the marathon on the Sunday and decided that despite my fears and doubts running 26.2miles could not possibly be as bad as looking at my beautiful baby boy and thinking that I might not see him grow up.
I rang Leukaemia Care on Monday morning and signed up. Almost a year, lots of training and several injuries later...here I am about to run the Virgin London Marathon for the first time and almost having raised my target for my chosen charity...what a difference a year makes!!
My page is http://www.justgiving.com/angelabrowne
It's really inspiring to read other people's reasons for running. Glad I am not the one making the decision as to who the money should go to!
I am running for Mind in memory of a friend who took her own life in November 2007 aged just 28. She was suffering from depression and was on anti-depressants but her GP had no worries about her, she was doing well at work (recently promoted) and just seemed stressed with being so busy. I spoke to her on the Friday, all seemed okay. Monday lunch time I was taken to one side to be told she hung herself at the weekend. No warning, no note and no explanations. She had loving friends, family & fiance around her but she wouldn't reach out for help at work for fear it would be held against her.
Rather than flowers at her funeral her parents asked for donations to Mind.
THat same friend had been there for me earlier in the year when I was having a tough time and she never once let me quit. She made me tackle things I thought were impossible and keep fighting. I've always said I wanted to do the marathon but always found a reason not to (the main reason being I don't do running!). I'm running the VLM to prove to myself and her that I am not a quitter even though I know this is going to hurt (the constant injuries I've had for the last 4 months have confirmed that!).
There are 6,000 deaths in the UK from suicide every year and approximately 80% of these are people who have some form of mental health disorder. 1 in 4 of us will have problems with our mental health yet still it is a taboo subject and seen as some kind of weakness. In a time of political correctness is it right that someone who has suffered a major depressive episode should be forced out of their job as their 'condition' is held against them? That obviously wasn't the official reason given but they were told that "off the record". Why should someone who can do their job well be discriminated against for having a common illness?
If running this marathon just raises awareness of mental health issues and can help prevent others feeling the pain I felt in 2007 (and everyday since), I will be happy
Mind Fundraising
First of all I got a ballot place so try to find some Golden Bond that deserve the money more than I do first. Did a Golden Bond last year so I know how though it is.
To me marathon is a once in a life time must, although this will be my third so I obviously caught the bug.
I have had a though life, kicked out when I was 15 had to work whilst studying to be able to afford a place to live and to pay my bills. As soon as school was over and I was of legal age I left my home country and all the bad memories. Once in the UK I got a job and some friends, but I am always to nice and always get used. Had my fortune told by a palm reader once and she said I will never ever have any money because I'll always give them away...here we are 10 years later and she as so right....I simply can't say no.
In the last 15 years I have had bad luck and then worse luck, ex boyfriend spent all my money and then threatened to shot me when I left him...didn't even know he had a gun but appherently so. Following partner married me for a visa and cheated on me the whole time, even the day before the wedding. Of course he decide he didn't want to work either.
Then the last boyfriend who I at last thought wasa decent bloke dumped me because he, his football team, friends and family was way more important and left me alone with all the shit he created. When we met he was unhappy where he lived and he asked for my help, turns out his landlord was a rough cowboy and all his flat broke the law on four counts. So the contract could easily be terminated....but no the landlord decides to threaten to kill me instead. So a civil court case ensues and obviously the threat was dealt with by the police, however this was in my exam period in Uni and did terrible damage and the idiot has broken the harrassment order on so many occassions it is now ridicolous. As my partner moved back to our country of origin when he dumped me he got of lightly as the landlord only pursues me, he has even contaacted my job and my church to tell them what a liar I am.
So being broke for 15 years, 3 court cases 3 bad realtionships I really needed to do something not to think of all the shit I am in. So for my health I started running and for my mental health I started doing charitable things, I volunteer a lot both with time, advise and money. Have represented people in court for free and will go to India for 8 weeks in the summer to work for free again....you see I never ever will have any money
Volunteering and sponsoring people and charities gives me prospective on my own problems, how ever bad my life is there are people that have it worse.
So if I win money can be donated here http://www.justgiving.com/Running-Eva
Hey folks!
I think this thread is a brilliant idea and so I will add my story in short form too. If you feel like giving or just reading the whole story, please do visit my site!
Ten years ago in March, I awoke on the morning of an accounting exam with a horrible headache. The headache persisted the whole day and into the night, when I finally fell into a coma. I was in America at the time and when my parents arrived from Europe, I had spent 5 days in said coma without the doctors knowing what was wrong. It must have been so amazingly horrible for them. That Wednesday, I awoke but was paralysed waist-down and partially in my left arm. I could not feel or move anything.
For weeks, the doctors tried to figure out what it was and later told me that they estimated my chances to ever walk again at under 7%. After about a month in the hospital, trying to learn how to cope as a paraplegic but always believing I would walk again, I moved my right big toe. My Dad was there and cried his eyes out, believe me! It was one of the happiest days I can remember!
And so the long road to recovery began. 4 months later I was able to start running (-ish) again. I had Encephalomyelitis (inflammations in brain and spinal cord) from the Epstein-Barr virus. It is a common virus but this case is one of only 10 known to my doctors at Johns Hopkins. I am fortunate to be the only one they know of who has fully recovered. Needless to say, I am very very lucky.
During my illness, I started to lean heavily on organisations like the Spinal Injury Association for whom I am raising money. SIA helps spinal injury patients and their families cope with all of the MASSIVE changes in life after a spinal injury / illness. They are a members-run organisation and I cannot say how thankful I am for them, even though I do not have to use their support today.
So, 10 years after this illness, I want to give back to the community and support those who are not as lucky as I am. I have enjoyed the training and cannot wait to meet the SIA members along the course and after the race. I love running and every time the going get tough, I think of what could have been.
M.ister W, thank you for this thread and your consideration
www.justgiving.com/Martin-Quinn0
Martin
Oops forgot to say that I am running for the Charity Lepra.
Lepra started in the 1920s to try to cure and eradicate Leprosy, they have now evolved to try and eradicate/cure/treat all diseases of poverty like Malaria, Aids/HIV, TB, LF etc etc. They are doing a very good and cost effective work and I couldn't spot any waste when I attended their AGM. I picked them for my Golden Bond last year and ran Berlin last year and now again London for them. I picked them because they are really doing a good job, they are not wasteful and the poorest of the poor really need help. My life however bad is 100 times better then a sick persons life in poor country.
By the way completely of topic, answers might be good in a new thread, as you can see from my sob story I am quite single at the moment. Are there any nice single running men age 30ish around in the London area??? Sob story is really getting worse....so deserve to get some money for my charity
Might need a selection panel though as I really can't choose for myself (see my earlier entry).
Mr W - I'll chip in £26.20 to the pot too. Lots of runners in my support group are running for charity and sadly I can't donate to them all - this is the next best thing.
I will, of course, abide by your decision
Ok, firstly M.ister W and all you other contributors thank you on behalf of us all. I have already secured a cheque from M.ister W which I appreciate greatly but here is my story.
My son, Robert, has severe special needs, both mental and physical, and is in a fantastic special needs school which I have raised money for many times before, Heol Goffa School, in Llanelli. Maybe Seren Nos may have heard of it?
However I really wanted to run London this year and being unsuccessful in the ballot meant finding a charity that was still helping children such as Robert, which is why I chose The Children's Trust.
Read more here:
http://www.justgiving.com/Matt-Rogerson-running-a-marathon
Wow! Thanks to those donating! I think I may donate later, but will probably stretch my funds very thin between several people... (once I've got my credit card to work... it's one thing after another at the moment! LOL)
Come and get your FREE* money
*26.2 miles worth
Thanks a million Karen!!! It has been quite the adventure, to say the least.
There are some brilliant stories out there. Best of luck to everyone on Sunday!
Martin
Getcha free money here!
Right then folks
I am running the VLM, but only found out 3 weeks ago (long story, which I wont go into on here)
I am not running for any charity.
Because I feel I should be running for one, I will also give £26.20 to whichever charity is chosen.
SA
Well done that man
That's over ONE HUNDRED and TWENTY SIX QUIDS!
£131 to be exact
OMG!
Seriously, respect to all you lot.
Hi all
Thought I would add my story to the mix…
I am running for the Teenage Cancer Trust and here is why......
Eighteen months ago my 17 year old son had a lump removed from his parotid gland and it turned out to be malignant. He doesn't need any further treatment as the surgery was successful but if he had needed treatment I would have wanted him to have access to a TCT unit.
He was too old for treatment at the sick kids hospital and so was treated in an adult ward in one of our local hospitals. The care he got there was wonderful and the staff were brilliant but the one thing he did say to us after it was all over was that we were to look after ourselves when we got older as he didn't want us to get ill like the older people on his ward. The ward he was on had elderly gentlemen on it who were quite ill and it made me think that this is not the best environment for a young person to be in. It made me think about what is available and how invaluable a unit, such as the TCT can provide, would be to a teenager. I did some research and found out the TCT are raising funds for a unit for 16-24 years olds for out local hospital and so decided to raise what I could to help as teenagers deserve a unit like this to help them through their treatment and recovery.All the stories here are deserving of the donation, it’s a difficult choice Mr W…..
GOOD LUCK to everyone on Sunday…..
) I have a bit of an ITB problem at the mo…perfect timing….lol but will be on the start line on Sunday and will get round and enjoy the day….
http://www.justgiving.com/Kathy-runs-London-2010
THANK YOU to the very generous forumite who took the time to visit my page and donate. You have posted as annonymous, and I respect that completely.
But it means I cannot say thank you properly. So I hope you read this.
If anyone else wants to have a look please feel free
www.virginmoneygiving.com/AndrewWatson
Boing boing
Post your stories here. £131 to the one chosen by Mr W
boing