Hi Everyone,

 

As a few of you may know I am competing in the Tough Mudder Competition in Austin, Texas in April. For any of you who do not know what this means please watch this:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Ra9-5hQJc.

 

You may then begin to realize the ludicrous nature of the task in front of me. Essentially, it is a half marathon combined with an assault course including barbed wire, electric shocks, water obstacles and various other things which I am not a massive fan of.

 

Why am I telling you this you may ask. I am asking you to sponsor me in this endeavor. Although I appreciate some of you may find it rich me asking you to sponsor me for taking part in my favorite past time (rolling around in the mud with some sweaty Texan's). The charity I am raising money for could not be more worthy.

 

The Michael Palin Center for Stammering Children is a charity, which completely revolutionized my life. Without their help, I would be literally nowhere. When I first went to the center as a 6 year old. I was stammering on 1 in every 6 words (you willnow work out why every 6th word is in bold.) Look at this page and think about the implications if this had continued into mine (or any ones) later life. Some of you may now be thinking of the positives of a slightly quieter me. I appreciate this point of view but my lack of volume control has nothing to do with the charity and everything to do with my own, ludicrously loud family.

 

I went through 8 years of intensive speech therapy at their center in London. This is an expensive process involving one on one therapy, which requires time and patience in order to make progress. This is a service for which the centre does not charge, hence the importance of donations. Although increasing fluency is an important part of the process, it is increasing confidence that is the upmost goal. When you stammer, you are painfully aware of that fact. Something a simple as the first day of school, when you go round the class telling your name is a literal nightmare. As such, an important part of the therapy is learning to deal with these situations and control your anxiety around them. This gives you the confidence to speak out in class, even if you know occasionally you would still stammer.   

 

Not everyone is lucky enough to have this opportunity.

 

Currently the charity is targeting four key areas of growth so they can help more people:

 

1. To increase the capacity of the Michael Palin Center in London

2. To support the establishment of a center in the North

3. To train Speech & Language therapists

4. Fund and promote research

 

If this wasn't enough emotional blackmail here is a bit more http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/video/2009/jun/26/michael-palin-centre-stammering-children

 

So any money you can donate to this cause would be hugely appreciated and you will have my eternal gratitude.