Thanks for taking the time to visit the Year of Nonsense for Cystic Fibrosis JustGiving page. 

CLICK ON 'READ MORE' FOR ALL THE EVENTS AND TEAM INFORMATION

Some facts on Cystic Fibrosis

 - CF is one of the UK’s most common life threatening inherited diseases currently affecting over 8,500 people in the UK. 

 - Around half of this CF population can expect to live over 38 years and with improvements in treatments many babies born today could expect to live even longer. 

  - The sad fact remains that each week 3 young lives are lost to CF and 5 babies are born with CF. 

For a baby to be born with Cystic Fibrosis, both parents must be carriers of the faulty CF gene.  Currently in the UK over 2 million people are carriers of the gene.  If 2 carriers have a baby, that baby will have a 1 in 4 chance of having CF. 

So what is it exactly?  CF is caused by a single faulty gene that controls the movements of salt in the body. With CF internal organs become clogged with thick, sticky mucus resulting in infections and inflammation making it hard to breathe and digest food. 

Treatment of CF can involve physiotherapy, exercise, medication and nutrition and in many cases lung transplant can be the only option.  The success rate of lung transplantation for CF patients is encouraging: 70% survive one or two years after transplantation and the longest surviving patients had their transplant operations over 15 years ago.

There is currently no cure for CF. 

The CF Trust (the recipients of your donated funds!)

The CF Trust was founded in 1964.  It is the UK’s only national charity dedicated to all aspects of CF.  The CF Trust funds medical and scientific research to treat and cure CF and aims to ensure appropriate clinical care and support for people and families affected by the disease. 

The CF Trust funds research to find an effective treatment for CF through gene therapy and believe that this is going to be the nearest thing to a cure in the foreseeable future.

What are we doing to help - what is this Year of Nonsense?

Picture the scene…. sunny weather, a bunch of friends chatting round the bbq with a refreshment.  The mixture of heatstroke and perhaps a smidge too much 'brave juice' leads to increasingly ridiculous claims of running to Mars, cycling across the clouds like a kilted E.T and swimming faster than Flipper the Dolphin!!  "Lets raise some money for charity in the process" was heard.  

Two shiny new bikes, the paraphernalia to go with them, and a somewhat dented wallet later, the idea to commit ourselves to a 'bit of fundraising' has turned into a year of marathons, ultra-marathons, slightly insane triathlons and a cycle from one end of Britain to the other.  All in all...... a Year of Nonsense!  

So who are we?

Small but perfectly(ish) formed - the team members / idiots (plus their support crew) of Year of Nonsense are as below :-

The founding members of the YoN crew are Cam Warner & Graeme Crane (Biff), who have completed in all events so far.  They have managed to convince a couple of friends - Graham Gordon, Colin Beveridge, Lauren Mitchell and Lesley Forrester, who will join them over the course of the year for some of the events to be tackled (see below)

The Support Crew of Margaret Warner, Clare Lowson and Lorraine Beveridge have also made an enormous contribution, ensuring we've been well cheered in our efforts.  It wouldn't have been possible without them infact.    

What makes us tick, why are we doing all this silly stuff?

As a CF sufferer Cam is particularly motivated and determined this year to raise awareness of CF, the profile of the CF Trust and the great work they do into researching this condition.  It goes without saying that the other driving factor is to raise as much money for this fantastic charity as people’s deep pockets will allow.  

Raised in Perthshire, any sport generally involving tearing down a hill as fast as possible has always left Cam with a huge grin on his face.  It seems only natural then that racing over hills (and any other terrain imaginable) was bound to end up on Cams 'to-do' list.  

His comerade Biff hails from slightly further north on the outskirts of Aberdeenshire. Also a keen runner and now cyclist he is keen to play his part in helping to raise as much money as possible for this important charity.  With a stubborn streak the size of Russia and an ability to be “roasting” in even the coldest temperatures, hopefully this will stand him in good stead for the cold waters of Loch Linnhe in September!!

Cam and Biff have signed up to a number of gruelling challenges over the year to June 2011, which will push them (and there dedicated support crew) to their physical and mental limits … and beyond no doubts!!!  To round off the year, the small matter of a cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats will be the culmination of all this hard work, blood sweat and tears.  

We mentioned there would be some chums joining these two for a number of the events.  

Graham Gordon and Lauren Mitchell have signed up for the 26.2mile Loch Ness Marathon.

For the grand finale, Colin Beveridge and Lesley Forrester will also join Cam, Biff, Graham and Lauren to cycle the 900+ miles from Lands End to John O'Groats in June.    

The events (what are they? where are they?)

Lochalsh Dirty 30 - Saturday 12th June 2010

http://www.lochalsh-trails.co.uk/

30-mile hill-running trail event through the Glen Shiel area of Lochalsh. 

Big Ben Nevis Triathlon - Saturday 11th September 2010

http://www.nofussevents.co.uk/event/The-Big-Ben-Nevis-Triathlon/1046/

Not for the 'Faint Hearted' The Big Ben Nevis Triathlon is a multi—disciplinary sporting challenge for those who like it ‘epic’.

 
The Big Ben Nevis Triathlon will offer competitors the opportunity to test their skills, stamina and endurance away from smooth, predictable tarmac and calm inland waters of other, more traditional ‘tri’ events, and will pit entrants against the choppy waters of a freezing cold highland sea loch, the long, loose climbs and fast singletrack descents of Glen Nevis, and the final, monster challenge - a hill run, up (and then back down) Ben Nevis, The UK’s highest and most feared mountain.

Loch Ness Marathon - Sunday 3rd October 2010

http://www.lochnessmarathon.com/

Recognised as one of the UK's leading marathons, the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon follows a spectacular point-to-point route through stunning Highland scenery, along the south-eastern shores of Loch Ness, and then crosses the River Ness to finish along the river in the heart of Inverness.

The Etape Caledonia - Sunday 15th May 2011

http://www.etapecaledonia.co.uk/

The Etape Caledonia is an 81-mile cycle challenge which takes place on traffic-free roads in the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire. Starting and finishing in Pitlochry, the route winds its way along the banks of Loch Tummel and round Loch Rannoch, before a tackling climb alongside Schiehallion on the way back to Pitlochry via Aberfeldy.  

The Cape Wrath Marathon - Saturday 21st May 2011

http://www.capewrathchallenge.co.uk/

Durness is the most north westerly inhabited locality of mainland Great Britain and home of what could be the toughest Marathon in the UK.  Participants have to first negotiate the Kyle of Durnes by feryboat before starting the out and back route to the Lighthouse at Cape Wrath itself, over undulating terrain to say the least.  Another short ferry crossing and the final few miles take runners back up from sea-level to a welcomed finish line in Durness.

Lands End to John O'Groats - 1st - 11th June 2011 

Covering 900+ miles over the course of 10 days, from one end of the country to the next, will be no mean feat.  The overnight stops have been planned and the route will see the YoN team travel through the South West, Wales (briefly), the Lake District and the stunning Lochs and Glens of Scotland, bound for John O'Groats.  Some relatively 'easy' days of only 80 odd miles will make those 100+ mile days feel like a real challenge.....  wish us luck everyone, and dig deep knowing it'll be the most important thing spurring us onwards!!!1 

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 - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.