Caring for a loved one with a disability is tough in the best of times. This year has been especially challenging for families of children with physical and learning disabilities.
My friend Rosemary's smily son Alexander is 14 years old and has Down Syndrome. For the last 10 years a great organisation called Yorda Adventures have supported him and his family with tailored after-school & holiday clubs for children with severe learning disabilities and mobility challenges. Alexander adores everyone who works there, the staff have become an extended family.
COVID-19 has dealt a huge blow to Yorda's fundraising and they are at risk of closure. There is no alternative provision in the local area and many families like Alexander’s would be hit very hard if they had to close.
As you know I love a great cause, and have decided join Rosemary and her friends and set myself a lockdown challenge to run 100km, burning the Covid-kilos as I go and hopefully ensuring that all the kids attending Yorda are smiling this Christmas.
For those of you who have supported my swim challenges over the years and thought I couldn't run, you were right! In the last lockdown, with my pool closed and lake roped off, I completed Couch to 5k... and for the first week I couldn't run over 90 seconds (that's right seconds!). I'm a little bit better now but I'm not going to lie, 100km in 27 days is going to be a challenge... Fortunately the rules say we can exercise for as long as we want outside .... but I might be the only person hoping for an extension to lockdown!
Please support this great cause! The amazing team at EQ Investors have agreed to match the funds I raise up to £1000 so every penny really does count - twice over!
And finally, I promise to update you with inpenetrable graphs showing improbable correlations....
Thank you so much!