After a stroke whilst skiing in Austria on Christmas Day 2014, my life changed. I had to retire as a teacher and had to recover with speech and my right arm. After six months of therapy I had improved a lot and joined with the Velmore Stroke Support Group. After a holiday down to Australia, I saw James Faulkner, Senior Lecturer in University of Winchester. He put me on an 8 week programme to improve my health by using the treadmill and free weights. Just 8 weeks? What a difference! I enjoyed running on the treadmill and I found muscles I never thought I had before. As a result I joined membership in a gym and used it 3 or 4 times a week, and swimming. I increased the speed on the treadmill (9.5kph) between 5K to 10K. 

In September 2016 I did the first 'proper' run. I did the Andover 10K under the hour (59:04). This went to do the Great South Run (10 mile) in 1:45:35, not bad for an old guy. Even better, I got under the 50th out of 30,000 runners. What next? of course a marathon. I didn't get into the 2017 London Marathon, of course, but the Stroke Association gave me a place in the Brighton Marathon. James put me onto a training plan with graduates in the University of Winchester. I had to eat more food as I was eating less that I needed. They looked at my cholesterol, blood pressure, CO2 in and out etc. Increasing the distance day by day until I did 35K on a treadmill. I was ready for the full marathon 42K run.   What and amazing full marathon. The crowds were superb the whole way and I ran the whole way. I finished in 5:04:02! I had to get a half marathon so I did the last 4 big run. I finished the Great North Run in September under two and a half hour (2:27:56). 

After all this training, I raised over £4000 for the Stroke Association. So what next? Of course I'm being trained as a Stroke Ambassador and a trainer as a Stroke Volunteer with the support group, and prepared for the London Marathon 2018.