Thanks so much for visiting my page!

Well, as you may already know, I took on the mighty Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert this past April but unfortunately had to withdraw after 4 days due to risk of kidney damage from the dehydration caused by a very unwelcome stomach bug. I made a speedy recovery and, as I'm sure you've guessed, I will now have to return to complete the unfinished business I now have with this epic desert/race!

I would like to continue to raise money and awareness for spinal cord injury cure research charity, Walkoncemore, and to this end, I‘m excited to say that I’ve managed to secure a place in the 2018 event! I now know first-hand how punishing a race the MDS truly is, but I’m really looking forward to getting back out there to conquer the course and I'm hoping you’ll all be kind enough to get behind me for a further time as I prepare for it!

As a six-day, 254 km (156 mile) ultra-marathon the equivalent to six consecutive marathons, I will cross numerous terrains, sand dunes, salt flats, mountains and rock as I traverse the sweltering course. Just to make things that little bit harder, my food, cooking equipment, sleeping bag, clothes, venom pump, flare and all other essential supplies have to be carried on my back throughout. Yes, I think it's safe to say that the MdS really is the toughest and most self-sufficient footrace on Earth!

In the lead up to this event, I will cover thousands of kilometres in training in order to prepare my body for the pain and suffering I'm set to endure out there, in temperatures well above 50 degrees. It still doesn’t compare to how tough daily life is for millions of people around the World after falling victim to a spinal cord injury (SCI), however. With each unforgiving mile of the course, I am aiming to raise as much money and awareness as possible towards a cure for this debilitating condition.

In an instant, a paralysing SCI robs the victim and their loved ones of so much. As things stand, once a person suffers damage to their spinal cord, it’s almost always permanent and the individual is usually left having to live with severe disability through paralysis. The research that Walkoncemore supports will make this a thing of the past before long. New and old injuries will become temporary, allowing the person affected to regain full mobility. Funds raised will go only to the brightest minds in the field who are working tirelessly to make this happen as soon as possible.

Any one of us can be affected at any time by this catastrophic injury, so you could say that the work of the charity is a bit of an insurance policy for us all. With that in mind, please dig deep! Every little bit really does help, and will propel me round this difficult course. I am looking to raise a minimum of €9,000, but may even exceed this with your kindness and generosity!.

I really appreciate your support, thanks a million everyone!!

Jonny Herbert