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Adam's Great Wall Marathon

adam woolliscroft is raising money for Spinal Research
“adam woolliscroft's fundraising”

on 3 April 2011

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Every two hours, someone in the UK will become paralysed. Globally, it is estimated that 15.4 million people are living with paralysis. At Spinal Research our vision is to create a world where paralysis can be cured, no matter when the injury occurred or where in the world.

Story

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">I've had a&nbsp;extremely narrow escape, and fully appreciate that I've been incredibly <a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a>lucky.&nbsp;I&nbsp;want to give something back to those who have been less fortunate.. To do this,&nbsp;I need your support and you help !</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">In October I broke my neck playing a sport I love - rugby. On impact there was an almighty crack. It was an&nbsp;absolutely horrific sound !&nbsp;Due to the position, I&nbsp;heard&nbsp;the noise both externally and internally, at the same time.&nbsp;But also horrific because of what it potentially meant.....&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">As I lay there&nbsp;motionless&nbsp;I&nbsp;experienced a&nbsp;terrible&nbsp;empty, hollow fear. A realisation that I may not move again.&nbsp;I lay there for several nervous minutes, stunned and scared.&nbsp;Finally I took a big breath and&nbsp;tried to&nbsp;raise my arm.... It worked !&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">It was an incredible moment for me. Suddenly&nbsp;I really appreciated everything&nbsp;I have in life and&nbsp;how much&nbsp;on a daily basis I take for granted. The various operation were also a reminder of this, but not as powerful as that initial moment.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">I had an extremely&nbsp;narrow escape !&nbsp;Just 1 mm more would have severed the spinal cord and meant a different path for me. I have a very scary MRI scan as a souvenir !</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">My rugby </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">days are most definitely over !&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">But what an awesome opportunity to invest my time and my luck to help provide support for those individuals that are have had been less fortunate. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Spinal Research&nbsp;is a fantastic charity and&nbsp;VERY relevant. It's research aims to&nbsp;reverse the devastating effects of spinal damage and restore sensation and mobility to people paralysed as a result of breaking&nbsp;their neck or back.&nbsp;I'm also separately raising funds for Ben Kende, a fellow Hong Kong Football Club rugby player, just 18 years old, who also suffered a terrible injury at the&nbsp;same time as me.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">For a&nbsp;challenge, to be worthy of asking for everyone&nbsp;I know for sponsorship, it has to be a tough challenge and test me. This means&nbsp;pushing it hard. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Just</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;7 months from breaking&nbsp;my neck&nbsp;I plan to complete "The Great Wall of China Marathon". </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">This is already a&nbsp;tough&nbsp;marathon due to the temperature ( circa 35 degrees and dry ), uneven surface of the wall&nbsp;and physical climb ( including some very big steps ). </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">For me, having been inactive for 3 months, and suffered some severe nerve route damage, and significant&nbsp;muscle loss, a marathon is ( even by my own standards ) a fairly punchy challenge.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Your help, support and your generosity are massively appreciated.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Thanks</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Donation summary

Total
£4,983.85
+ £401.50 Gift Aid
Online
£4,983.85
Offline
£0.00

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