Dear friends,

I want to run this full marathon in memory of my dear departed dad, Joseph Soares. My dad was and is my hero; an honest, hard-working man who did his best to raise four kids. I miss him greatly!

I would like to honour his memory this year by helping raise awareness and vital funds for the Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre (MMEC) http://www.muirmaxwellcentre.com/ at the University of Edinburgh, a research centre close to my heart.

The MMEC aims to progress the understanding and treatment of childhood epilepsy and is one of the UK’s leading centres for pre-clinical and clinical research into childhood epilepsy. An estimated 1% of children worldwide have epilepsy and in up to 70% of children with epilepsy, the cause is unknown.

I have committed to raising £1,000 by running this year’s Edinburgh Full Marathon on May 28th and I am asking for your support. All money donated will directly benefit the MMEC, and any amount, no matter how small, is valuable, welcome and appreciated. Each and every gift takes the epilepsy research community a step closer to developing treatments for those children and families affected by epilepsy.

Now it's time to start training for the 42.2 kilometre (26.2 miles) running distance, something I have not even come close to doing before! It's going to be tough - wish me luck!

Thanks in advance for your thoughtfulness and generosity!

Best wishes,
Dinesh