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I have been running since 2003 when I ran my first Half Marathon at Bristol.  I have since run over 20 half marathons, three 20-mile races and two full Marathons. All the 20 milers and the Marathons have been cross-country races with hills, mud and slippery conditions to make it all a bit more difficult.  I have entered the London Marathon general ballot every year for the last 5 years and had almost given up hope. But this October I got in, so I am looking forward (ha!) to 26 miles of relatively flat tarmac.  I can’t say that I think it will be easy but all going well, I hope to beat 4 hours – but anything could happen!   Multiple Sclerosis is an incurable disease that affects people of all ages. It affects the nerves in the body resulting in a variety of symptoms such as loss of sensitivity, muscle spasms, difficulty in moving, loss of balance, problems in swallowing, problems with sight and bladder/ bowl problems. Not all sufferers have all these symptoms but even one or two can affect your whole life.  These are all things that able-bodied people take for granted on a daily if not hourly basis.   The Wessex MS Therapy centre in Warminster is an independent and wholly donation supported centre. It gets NO funding from government or from the local PCT.  It provides a range of therapies and treatments (physiotherapy, counselling, massage and oxygen-therapy to name a few) to help those who can get to the centre.  One major issue for those with MS is transport.  Driving can be a problem and taxis are expensive especially for the wheelchair users.  The centre would really be able to reach out to those living further a field by having a minibus type vehicle that could be driven by volunteers and could carry several at a time, to and from the centre for treatment. I’m not raising money specifically for this, but for the centre as a whole.     Please sponsor me and if you feel that I need an extra incentive to do a good time, sponsor me conditionally on beating this 4 hour time.   Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.

Damian's London Marathon page

Damian's London Marathon page

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