I have spent a lot of time at Kielder working but have not always had chance to appreciate the beauty of the area. The Marathon follows the 26 mile circumference of the biggest man-made lake in Europe. I have been training this year with the aim of completing my first marathon which is going to be a real challenge and I cannot think of a more apt place to do it especially with my link to the Hydro Power Station.

Lydia was a really close friend of ours who died in 2015. A major contributing fact to her illness was that little is known of Vasculitis and as a result it was not diagnosed soon enough. Symptoms are often mistaken for arthritis (due to swelling in the joints) but it is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the blood vessels and in serious cases attacks vital organs. 

I have happy memories visiting Kielder and the observatory with Lydia, her husband, Tim, and my wife, Ruth. By completing this marathon I hope to not only raise money to help Vasculitis UK but also to raise awareness.

Thank you to all those who donate and take time to visit my JustGiving page.

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