Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
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Why am I running the London Marathon in 2010 ???
On 4 May 2003 I was involved in a serious car accident that left me with severe brain injury. The prompt attendance of the Kent Air Ambulance enabled me to receive the treatment I needed to give me the best chance of recovery.
It was in the early stages of recovery that I comitted to running the London Marathon. On the late May Bank Holiday, I was still in hospital and had been moved to a chair on the ward and I felt able to walk. The nurses were adamant I would not be able to do more than stand a short while. I promised that if I were to walk to the end of the ward that day, I would run the London Marathon when I was fully recovered. I walked along the ward so now I was committed to entering the marathon! Why did I have to prove the nurses wrong???
After my discharge from hospital at the start of August 2003, I was lucky enough to gain a place on the Vocational Rehabilitation course at the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Unit in Wimbledon. I attended the unit a few days each week from September 2003 until my graduated return to work started in January 2004, when my visits to the unit reduced until I was almost full time at work. Without the support of all at the unit I would not have been able to return to my old position. I had previously been told I was unlikely to be able to work in a similar position due to my injury so was pleased to succeed in my return.
I am therefore hoping to raise money for both the Kent Air Ambulance and the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Unit as they helped the start and end of my time under medical supervision. I have set up this JustGiving page for Kent Air Ambulance donations. The Wolfson does not have this ability and so I will be collecting donations for them in a bank account and will present a cheque once I've completed the marathon.
If you would like to read more about the Kent Air Ambulance operations and how it is fully reliant on donations to remain operational, please visit their website www.kentairambulance.co.uk
If you would like to find out more about the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Unit, or make a donation to them as well as the Kent Air Ambulance. Please email me at simon@handcock.co.uk
Thanks for your support,
Simon
*** Latest news (26th April)
Well that's it, 26.2miles completed in 04:32:52 and I've not said "never again". The whole experience was great and I've already put in my application for the 2011 marathon ballot. Miles 19-21 were tough, but thanks to the support of the crowd and knowledge of the sponsorship raised both on and off-line I got going again and finished in what I think is a good time. This just giving page is open for donations until the end of July.
Thanks again for your support!