So I've finally committed to doing something that I've been talking about for a couple of years now - rowing 100 kilometres in a day on a rowing machine. I've goingto do it now for a few reasons; I'm in good health, I've got some time to train and I've found the right charity.
Here's my explanation of why I want to put myself through 9-10 hours of continuous pain. My sister was born on the 3rd May 1991. She was a rather concerning bluish-purple, though did improve. As a baby, however, she was unable to do anything that required effort - even to the extent that she was the most disconcerting thing a baby can be; completely silent. It was discovered that she was missing the septum (central wall) in her heart, so oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood was being mixed in the heart leaving her short of oxygen. Pioneering surgery (which carried a significant risk of death) put an ingeniously kevlar-based replacement into her heart; flesh could grow over it and it would gradually waste away until no longer required. Sadly the unit where here surgery was done has now been shut down, but they did a phenomenal job for my family. There were, however, more implications of her heart problems; she had also suffered some brain damage.
Fortunately this wasn't too severe. She is very good socially and her biggest struggles are around numbers, amounts (e.g. time, money, distance), vision and change. And, with a huge amount of assistance from my parents, she has achieved things that doctors didn't think she would be able to.
The one thing we hadn't been able to find for Kate was a social group where she could really feel involved. Despite her very good social skills people can tell that she's "different" and people haven't always been kind to her. Link Leisure provides all sorts of support to people with learning disabilities, including running various groups. Volunteers help to run simple activities for the members, but these regular events provide people with the social stimulation they otherwise can't find. There are very few adult social groups for the learning disabled and this one has made a huge difference to many people's lives, including my sister's. She is happier, more confident and feels part of a community. For people with more socially-focused disabilities, such as autism, Link Leisure provides essential developmental opportunities - reducing the impact of their disability.
The reasons I'm rowing 100km on a rowing machine, rather than doing anything else, are; 1) This will be a phenomenally challenging thing to do, taking (at a guess) 9-10 hours, 2) It's something where people can easily come and see me for a bit and 3) It's a little bit out of the ordinary.
I hope you'll help me reach my goal by donating to Link Leisure via this website. They are a small charity and they need every penny they can get, especially as they are at real risk in the current economic climate. You can follow my training progress at http://jamescharityrow.blogspot.com/.
Thanks for reading (and hopefully donating),
James
UPDATE on 02/11/11 - December 3rd is now confirmed as the date of the big row.
