I’ve been in training for the past five months or so and this April I’m running the 31st edition of the Marathon des Sables (MDS), dubbed “The Toughest Footrace On Earth.” It is a 6 day, 160 mile, race across the Sahara desert, which roughly equates to a marathon a day. Water and a tent are kindly carried for us. Everything else, from toothbrush to stove to food, goes on our back.

This video should give you a flavour of the history of the race and the conditions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd-rPaBMTIc

I’m running the race for Team Willpower in order to raise money for the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home (QAHH) – something that provides huge motivation on the 12th anniversary of Will Tetley’s accident. The QAHH is where Will lives and I’d like to highlight his case to illustrate where the money you donate goes and how it makes a fundamental difference. 

I was lucky enough to know Will at school and his brother, Jack, is one of my best friends. In a horrible and barely fathomable twist of fate, Will was knocked down by a car while out cycling and remained in a coma for 2 months. During this time it was made very clear that if Will did survive, let alone regain consciousness, things would be very different. It soon became clear that he had been rendered paralysed on his left side, was unable to communicate well, and had had his personality severely affected.

All this time Will and his family were looked after brilliantly by brain injury staff at hospitals across the South. Many of these skilled staff are only able to do their jobs because of donations from charitable fundraising – and a huge amount of the equipment, research, daily physiotherapy, and development that brain injury establishments all over the UK are able to enjoy is because of this generosity.

There are so many small things that charity affords these places, things that would otherwise have to be regarded as too expensive for local councils. It’s often these small things that make someone such as Will’s life so much more enjoyable; whether it an outing, a new comfortable chair, or something as small as a haircut.

Families and those affected like Will would often be lost without this help.

With the right preparation and motivation people can achieve amazing things. Your donations can help those affected by Acquired Brain Injury overcome previously insurmountable obstacles. Every penny you donate goes directly to the QAHH.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to know any more details about the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home, or the race itself.

Any donation is much appreciated and will ensure one foot continues to go in front of the other until I reach the finish line.

Max