SAHARA SPINAL CHALLENGE

I’m a ‘normal’ bloke - married with two young kids. I’m passionate about my family, about my work and about Spinal Research. In 2002 a spinal injury stopped me playing rugby: In 2003 my desire to give something back to the doctors who helped me recover drove me to run the London Marathon in aid of Spinal Research.

I have never excelled at sport and until the Marathon I had always hated running – I’m not even sure I like running now! But for me it is a means to an end. I will never win a running race but I will never give up either - that’s part of my character. I have run in several ‘ultra’ races (over 26 miles) and have completed them all except one. The one that got away was my first attempt at the Fellsman - 63 miles of rough terrain with a 13,000 feet ascent. Having only started running 6 months before it was too much too soon. After 44 miles and twenty hours of running I was diagnosed with exhaustion and spent the next 10 days on crutches. But I went back the next year and completed the Fellsman in 21 hours. I’ve never let a race beat me since.

Distance running is as hard on your mind as on your body – which suits me perfectly. What gets me through is the same stubborn determination I apply to my DIY: I can make anything fit if I use a big enough hammer and hit it hard enough. When it comes to the Marathon of the Sands I will be using my biggest ever hammer and hitting it as hard as I’ve ever hit anything before – and I absolutely will ‘make it fit’.

About Me