Story
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">/**I have covered the cost of these trips myslef so all money will go directly to Springboard**/</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I woke up looking for the ultimate challenge; I went to bed registered to run the’ world’s toughest foot race’, the Marathon Des Sables. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I have now set myself a seriese of extrem challeges throughout 2012 in order to raise 10,00.00 for Springboard for Children. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">view my blog to see progress so far and a list of future events: <a href="http://www.stevensdesertdash.blogspot.com">www.stevensdesertdash.blogspot.com</a></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I have a believe that anyone can achieve anything they want to with the correct training and support whatever the obstacles are that get in the way; I wanted to find the ultimate challenge which will truly test this belief. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Steven</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Running 155 miles across a desert in 50 degree heat is a challenge for anyone, but adding arthritis in both knees and a shoulder into the equation and a maximum of 5 months training makes this even more of a challenge. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Why am I doing this: Young children in some of the most deprived areas of the UK don’t get the support they need to start life on an equal playing field, literacy problems will stay with a child for life if they are not supported at a young age. Not having the basic ability to read and write has an immense physiological impact on a child and will stay with them into adult hood. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Springboard for Children does amazing things buy giving these children the gift of literacy that so many of us take for granted. Even more importantly than this, for me, it is the fact it gives them mentor that truly believes in them as an individual. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It is this self believe that I hope stays with them; not everyone can excel in literacy, but everyone has something that they can excel in if they have the confidence to try. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I am an ordinary person attempting something slightly extraordinary in order to support a charity where extraordinary people do extraordinary things every day. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The gift that springboard gives these children really does change the lives of the children they support. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I am sure people that know me well will understand why a literacy charity is so important to me and why I truly believe in the work they do. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Many thanks </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Blog: <a href="http://www.stevensdesertdash.blogspot.com">www.stevensdesertdash.blogspot.com</a></span></p>
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