My Story

In July I will be taking part in my first EVER triathlon which will be my biggest sporting test to date. This gruelling challenge consists of a 750m open water swim, 23km bike ride and a 5km run in Cheshire.

I will be raising money for Stroke Association, a charity that means a lot to me as it has helped my very good friend Charlotte of 27 years, who suffered a life-changing stroke at the young age of 18.

Charlotte's Story

Charlotte had a major stroke at 18 as a result of a car accident and her world shattered in an instant - she had to learn how to walk and talk again and she faced massive psychological challenges as she slowly came to terms with her ‘new’ life. She then started to see a counsellor who specialised in the bereavement of loss of limb and she gradually got better over the years and whilst her confidence grew, she got a part time job, which she still has – it has given her stability, worth and something to simply wake up for. 

Charlotte still has great challenges, no use of her right arm and hand, drop-foot and occasional speech problems, however at the age of 31, she is finally accepting of the changes in her life and embracing the supportive network of Stroke Association and would like to raise as much money as possible for such an enriching charity to help other fellow-stroke survivors.

Stroke Association

Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK changing the world for people affected by stroke.

In the last 20 years the number of people dying of stroke has halved while the number of major strokes has decreased by 40 per cent. More people than ever are benefitting from cutting-edge treatments and making full recoveries. And more people now understand the need to seek emergency treatment for stroke.

We’ve been at the heart of every one of these developments, championing the cause of stroke and stroke survivors.

Our research has helped to improve treatments and care which has saved tens of thousands of lives.

Our support services have helped hundreds of thousands of people get through one of the most frightening experiences of their lives and build a life after stroke.

And our campaigning has touched the lives of even more people through initiatives like the FAST campaign which we developed to help people recognise the signs of a stroke and take emergency action. The Department of Health in England was so impressed with this campaign that they took it up in 2009 and promoted to millions of people.

However there is still more to do. Every year there are about 152,000 strokes in the UK. Thanks to improvements to stroke care you are twice as likely to survive a stroke than 20 years ago, yet stroke remains the UK's third biggest killer and these figures remain shocking.

Stroke is one of the greatest health challenges of our time but doesn’t get the attention or funding it deserves, especially compared to cancer and heart disease.

As the leading stroke charity in the UK we know we need to change how people think about this devastating disease. But we can’t do it on our own. We need to work with people who share our commitment to changing the world for people affected by stroke - with stroke survivors and their families; with decision makers; with researchers and medics; as well as with our supporters - so that we can ensure stroke gets the attention it deserves.

We believe that everyone has the right to make the best recovery they can from stroke.

We believe in the power of research to save lives and ensure people make the best recovery they can.

And ultimately, we believe that together we can change the world for people affected by stroke.

We are for life after stroke.

To find out more, please visit our website: https://www.stroke.org.uk/

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.