Martin McGinty is fundraising for Royal National Institute of Blind People

Imagine your world without sight

ING New York City Marathon 2009

on 01/11/2009

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Raising money for

Royal National Institute of Blind People

Charity Registration No. 226227

RNIB - helping blind and partially sighted people. Every day another 100 people will start to lose their sight.

RNIB is the leading UK charity offering practical support and information to anyone with a sight problem. Our pioneering work helps - not just with braille, talking books and computer training but with imaginative and practical solutions to everyday challenges. Your support helps us rebuild lives devastated by sight loss.

Page owner

Martin McGinty

RSS

Raised: 131%

Target: £2,000.00
Raised so far: £2,622.93

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My story

April 17^th 2005, Buckingham Palace, London, England, around 1pm. Jelly legs, bleeding from both nipples, crying salty tears and smelling a bit like poo, I said “never again”. Never again would I exert myself – not just to the agonising 26.2 miles (42k) where I constantly ignored my body’s plea for leniency as it shut down on me one function at a time, but – to the monotony of a 15 week training program. Having to say ‘no’ to just about everything that sounded like fun. Replacing lunches, nights out and parties with a daily date between me and the tarmac.

But time is a great healer. And 4 years on I’ve managed to blank out all the horrible memories. Having to be assisted by race stewards after cramping-up in Parliament Square, hitting the wall but it feeling more like being hit with a sledgehammer and stopping for a ‘Paula Radcliffe’ seem like a lifetime ago and I’m now ready to throw myself in to the challenge of the 5 boroughs: the New York Marathon 2009. Training is not going quite as well as it did in 2005, which is an ominous portent in itself, but I’m confident that between now and November 1^st I can get myself into some sort of condition whereby I can somehow make it round the course without giving myself a cardiac arrest... and if Eddie bloody Izzard can do 43 then surely to God I can manage another 1!!

The charity I’m running for is the Royal National Institute for Blind People. Having raised money for Oxfam and the Family Welfare Association in the past, I thought that I’d choose something a bit different and personally I can’t think of anything more horrendous than having to live without sight. Your donation will help this amazing charity put provisions in place for people who have to live with blindness and help them live as normal a life as possible.

Knowing that I’ve got such a tremendous network of family, friends and colleagues, I’ve given myself a stretch target of raising £1500. I know this won’t be easy, but if you can all give what you can to this very worthy cause I’ll make should be able to do it. Many of you will be aware that the charity offer to pay travel expenses for those who raise a certain amount but in the spirit of all this I will not be taking any money from the charity so your money will be going directly to the RNIB’s commendable projects.

As always, the charity can claim Gift Aid of at least 20% on every donation made by UK taxpayers, so please tick this box if this applies to you.

As an extra bit of fun, each person making a donation is entitled to guess my finishing time and I’ll buy a bottle of nice champagne to the person who gets the closest without going over. This is only a bit of fun and does not affect your Gift Aid claim. Email guesses to mmcginty@its.jnj.com

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. Please give generously.. and wish me luck!

Cheers,

Martin

	Well done Martin,only 43 to do to beat Eddie Izzard! Donation by Frances Jollie 15/11/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Now can we drink? Donation by Ben Myers 07/11/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	well done martin. renaldo Donation by william reynolds 04/11/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Brilliant time Bossman and all without the aid of a respirator.Fair play to you Horse and a big Hail Hail!! Donation by Colm O'Connor 04/11/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Well done on the run...! Donation by kevin drew 03/11/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Great effort Martin---an amazing finish time---now you can take that terrible photograph down ! Mumxxxxxxx Donation by patricia bradley 01/11/09	£60.00 + £16.92 Gift Aid
	Better late than never - you've probably passed the finishing line by now! Post Good Luck! 4hrs 7 mins Donation by PAUL MURRAY 01/11/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Good luck to you, Marti! Can't wait to hear how it went. Donation by Rina Shockman 01/11/09	£15.00
	Enjoy the day and good luck Martin! Donation by Euan McInnes 31/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Best o Luck horsebox- 3hrs 56mins Donation by Brian Lynch 30/10/09	£10.00
	Best of British you barmpot! Donation by Ole Gunnar Brown 30/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	All the best Marty. Go smash it and enjoy the day. No chicken jalfrezzi this time! I am predicting a 3.29.59... Donation by Enda Stankard 29/10/09	£100.00
	Good Luck. You might want to update your running outfit for New York? Donation by Jennifer Nicol 29/10/09	£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid
	Good luck running man! (3hrs 56) Donation by Zoe Benson 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	I predict that within 36 minutes of starting, you'll be on life support in the Emergency Room. Donation by Lord Litchfield 29/10/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Ouch... I just couldn't do it! Good luck, hope you bought yourself some new trainers... Donation by Jenny Hayes 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Good luck mr! In the words of Jennie.....run Forrest, run!! x Donation by Laura Moses 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Best of Luck Martin, enjoy the race and "keep her lit"! - Brendan and Gena - 3hrs 38min Donation by Brendan & Gena 29/10/09	£30.00
	Good Luck Martin...I know you'll do it! I predict a time of 3hrs 40mins Donation by Colleen Neverson 29/10/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	good luck red rum Donation by Donald Trump 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Good luck, Gaffer. Looking at you in training, I can't see you coming home faster than 4:04:04 on those tough NY streets. Donation by Moz 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Cool runnings Martin! eta - 3 hours 47 mins - no pressure Donation by Ginny Gilmour 29/10/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	Finishing time??? I choose DNF...! Good luck buddy, next time i'll do it with you Donation by Matt Cooke 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Good Luck! Donation by Clive Nichol 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	All the George mate......the family plloyd FT - 4hr 07 mins Donation by Prentice Lloyd 29/10/09	£40.00 + £11.28 Gift Aid
	If you get beat by anyone wearing a suit of armour, don't come back... Donation by Kenny Reilly 29/10/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
	3hr 44mins 4secs. Donation by Stef "The Unit" Connelly 29/10/09	£34.44 + £9.71 Gift Aid
	Good luck Gints - make sure you stretch those creamy hamstrings... Donation by Edward Sulivan 29/10/09	£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid
	Donation by Anonymous 29/10/09	£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
	Good luck mate! Donation by David Cheung 29/10/09	£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

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* Total raised online:	£2,412.93
Offline donations:	£210.00
Gift Aid plus supplement:	£567.75

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