Intro

On Saturday 25th February 2023, I will be running the Lulworth Cove Marathon, a 46km coastal trail run with 1864 meters / 6115 feet of elevation, to raise money for Autism West Midlands.

Why am I doing this?

My 8-year-old son, Leo, recently received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) underpinned by anxiety. He’s also hypersensitive to light, sound, touch and taste. 

ASD is an invisible and often misunderstood disability. It is a vast spectrum and it’s often said no two autistic people are the same. Leo was assessed as having a spiky profile where his strengths and weaknesses are at the extremes.

His brain is fascinating.  His thirst for knowledge is like nothing I’ve seen from a young child; often choosing to read an encyclopaedia before bed. He is a sponge with an ability to retain phenomenal amounts of information. His memory is fast, his thought process very logical and he has great attention to detail. He grasps complex things like science and maths with ease. He’s also exceptionally honest and factual. 

However, these incredible superpowers come at a huge cost. He struggles with basic day-to-day things where his peers excel in comparison.  He can be completely unaware of what’s going on around him.  He struggles socially; building friendships is hard, often not knowing what to say or how to join in with play.  The smallest changes in routine can result in days of adjustment.  He’s often unaware of his own emotions and emotional regulation is hard when small things escalate quickly resulting in kicks, punching or biting as a form of communication.  External factors can also overwhelm him eg bright lights or a noisy environment, making things like birthday parties a challenging and stressful time for him.

As a family, it’s been challenging. There were early signs as a toddler, but we didn’t particularly recognise or understand them. The extra support Leo requires has an impact on all those around him.

As far as the ASD spectrum goes, Leo would likely be seen as high functioning; many people with ASD have even more complex and challenging needs eg non verbal. These people will require significant daily support and the stress and strain on their families will be huge.

Who are Autism West Midlands?

Autism West Midlands is an incredible charity who have directly helped my family and I on this journey. They provided us with a superb free service designed to improve our understanding of ASD. 

We are learning daily. There are still many challenges, but the knowledge they provided has been invaluable.  We are far better equipped at seeing the world through Leo’s eyes. This means we can support him more effectively, which has already resulted in a far happier little boy.

Autism West Midlands are the leading charity in the West Midlands for autistic people. They use passion and expertise to enrich the lives of people on the autism spectrum and those who love and care for them.

There are more than half a million autistic people living in the UK; 60,000 live in the West Midlands.

Autism West Midlands services include:

• Support autistic people to live as independently as possible, in residential care, or in their own or the family home
• Provide a free autism information helpline offering a first point of contact for families and individuals in crisis
• Provide advice and support sessions to families and carers of children on the autistic spectrum
• Enable adults to access support within their local community to build resilience, confidence, and skills to actively participate in society
• Offer training to parents, professionals and individuals and much more!

Why run the Lulworth Cove Marathon?

I wanted to challenge myself. 

The Lulworth Cove Marathon is 46km of coastal trail paths covering 1864 meters / 6115 feet of elevation.  

To put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of running the London Marathon, then adding on an extra 10% in distance, and then adding in 1.4x Ben Nevis’ for total elevation… all in one run.

To add to the fun, it’s in February, so I will likely get battered by the wind and rain. 

This challenge is far beyond my current running ability; I had zero running experience before the lockdown. 

But with focus, determination and commitment to a training plan, I wanted to see what I’m capable of. All the while trying to give something back to the charity that has helped us.

Plus their Aid Stations, located approximately every 8km, have cake 😋 and I’m sure the idea of me suffering will bring joy to a few people 🙃

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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