ASHLEY GANDER
Ashley Gander - Marathon Legend
Fundraising for Stroke Association
Story
***!!!UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!***
I finished!!!
After 4hrs, 54mins and 25secs I stumbled across the finish line in 25,101st place (ahead of Richard Branson, Natalie Imbruglia, Princess Beatrice and Lorraine Kelly!). This is a massive 17 seconds off my previous time in 2007!
I managed to run up until 19.5 miles and then “hit the wall” suffering indescribable pain in my right calf muscle, left thigh and the top of my left foot. I know this may sound clichéd, but the only reason I persevered to the end was because I didn’t want to let down The Stroke Association and the generosity of everyone wo sponsored me. To date, the overall total raised is an amazing £2,782.36 - thank you.
Thank you also for all the strange and wonderful song choices which kept me amused as I went around. I had to allocate a few of my own to people who didn't nominate a song to ensure I had enough music to last me. The song that was playing on my iPod as I crossed the finish line was “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys which was allocate to Nikki and Ian Berry - as promised I have quadrupled their generous donation. As I looked down at my trainers, Brian Wilson sang “God only knows what I’d be without you…” – probably, one big blister!
Should anyone else wish to take up the challenge, the 2011 ballot opens on 4th May…!
Ashley
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07753 675609
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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. A stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK. It is also the single most common cause of severe disability. The Stroke Association is the only UK charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected by stroke. Their vision is to have a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke get the help they need.