Gemma Rourke
Gem's marathon challenge
Fundraising for Spinal Research
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Roughly two years ago I had a horse riding accident, whilst riding a young horse, where I galloped head first into a tree, stupidly without wearing a riding hat.
After my accident I came in contact with a truly inspirational woman, Claire Lomas, who made me realise just how lucky I had been not to have sustained any serious injuries.
Claire was an extremely talented event rider who, in 2007, had a freak horse riding accident, where she collided with a tree that left her with fractures to her neck, back and ribs, a punctured lung and pneumonia. The fractures in her back caused damage to her spinal cord which has left her paralysed, without sensation, from the chest down. Despite her injuries she was determined to get better and thanks to extensive physiotherapy and the dedicated support of her family and friends she completed the Virgin London Marathon 2012 in a ‘ReWalk‘ robotic suit in just 17 days.
Whilst walking part of the course with Claire I realsied that if this amazing woman could complete such a challenge against the odds then I had to stop making excuses and saying “I can’t run” and remember how lucky I am to still have the use of my legs.
I decided that I wanted to raise money for Spinal Research through running and after seeing an add in the Metro, just 4 weeks ago, I jumped at the chance to join the London Marathon 2013 Spinal Researchteam.
I want to not only raise awareness of this amazing charity but more importantly inspire others. We all have reasons why we don’t exercise ‘ I don’t have time’, ‘it’s too hard’ but sometimes we just need a wake up call to stop making excuses.
With your help I want to smash my £1800 sponsorship target in just 9 weeks, so please donate if you can and spread the word! This charity means so much to me it really would mean the world. If you’re free I would love you to come and cheer me on on the day or via Facebook.
On April 21st I am running the London Marathon for Spinal Research, to raise vital funds for this incredible charity that gives hope to so many. I would really appreciate it if you can donate today or by texting GEMS68 £(amount) to 70070. Wish me luck x
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.