I am running the Toronto Marathon to raise money for DeterMND the charity set up by Anto Finnegan a childhood hero of mine and former Antrim GAA Captain.

DeterMND has been established on behalf of Anto Finnegan, former Antrim Gaelic football captain, after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in August 2012. The aims of deterMND are very simple-

1. Raise awareness of MND through organised events and press coverage

2. Raise funds for the MND Association for research and patient care

3. Raise funds for the deterMND (Anto Finnegan)

MND is a neurological condition for which there is no cure, with an average prognosis of 2-5 years after diagnosis. The disease causes motor neurons to stop functioning, meaning signals fail to reach their intended muscles. This causes the muscles to waste and die, leading to complete immobility. Senses such as sight, hearing and touch remain unaffected.

Since 2013 deterMND has raised in excess of £140,000 for MND research and to support the MND Association. In 2015 & 2016 we made donations to Project MinE, which focuses on the sequencing of DNA in order to identify and ultimately treat faulty genes associated with MND. In 2017 we plan to make further donations to research projects which align to the aims and objectives of deterMND.