The 3 Marathon Challenge

The 3 Marathon Challenge consists of a full marathon wheeling, a full marathon kayaking and a full marathon handcycling, all completed in September 2018.

Each marathon will be completed by Charlie MacPherson and will raise much needed funds for Anglesey Hawks Wheelchair Basketball Fledglings, Wheelchair Basketball North Wales Knights, and Mind. All three of these are very important to Charlie, her family and her friends.

Who is Charlie MacPherson? Charlie is a 32-year-old full time wheelchair user as a result of Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome and Chiari Malformation. She consequently suffers daily, very painful, subluxations and dislocations, has constant severe headaches, nausea, loss of sensation, and has deteriorating sight with no vision in her left eye and only about 15% in her right. All this is just the tip of the iceberg and her health continues to worsen.

Having said all that, Charlie is a very cheerful and positive person. She is a fine arts graduate and is a pivotal influence in art and crafting in her home village of Cemaes and community events in general. Her attitude to life astounds all who meet her and she inspires others to achieve more than they ever thought possible, just by the example she sets and the way she lives her life. She is an advocate for young people in the village, which is also reflected with her involvement in wheelchair basketball. She is very actively involved in wheelchair basketball, not only as a player in Anglesey Hawks Wheelchair Basketball Club, but also now Coach at Hawks and the founder of the Hawks Fledglings for younger players, some as young as 4 years old. Charlie also plays for North Wales Knights in the National League and the North Wales Knight-Mares who play in the National Women’s League.

Charlie has organised many events and fund-raisers in the past but this is by far her greatest challenge to date.