Dearall, 

Myname is Mark West.

Myhistory is that since 2007 I have been trying to raise awareness andfunds to support the Lupus and help find a cure. In 2009 and 2010 Iran the London marathon for Lupus and in 2012 I climbed MountKilimanjaro on behalf of Lupus Charities to raise awareness. In 2014I cycled six mountains of the Tour de France in three days forLupus.In 2020 I am planning my toughest challenge to date. I amplanning to trek to the North Pole. To achieve my goal and to supportthe research for Lupus, I need to raise £55,000.

MyEvent plan to raise awareness and funds for the North Pole trek is asfollows:

Event 1 - June 2015. Ironman 70.3 Wimbleball, England (70.3 mile Triathlon, 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike race and half marathon run to finish) – COMPLETED

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Event 2 - June 2016. Ironman 140.6 Bolton, England (140.6 mile Triathlon, 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike race and full marathon run to finish) – COMPLETED

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Event 3 - April 2017. 24 Hour London to Paris Cycle (London – Newhaven – Dieppe – Paris Cycle ride. Approximate distance - (230 miles in 24 hours non-stop) – COMPLETED

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Event 4 - July 2018. The Coast to Coast Crossing. 3-day mountain bike race from the West to East Coast of England (200 mile 3-day mountain bike race from Whitehaven to Scarborough crossing 3 National Parks, 2 Coastlines)

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Event 5 - September 2019. A 18 day trek in the Nepalese Himalayas, following in the footsteps of the Sherpa on this epic quest trekking at high altitude. Cross numerous rivers along the way until we reach the highest point at Kalapathar (5,545m) Everest Base Camp.

Trek - February 2020 North Pole Trek

The reason i have chosen Lupus is because my wife has this disease. 

Whatis Lupus: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Systemiclupus is a chronic and presently-incurable disease of theimmune system, a condition in which the bodys defence mechanismbegins to attack itself through an excess of antibodies in the bloodstream causing inflammation and damage in the joints, muscles andother organs. 

Almostany organ or system of the body can be affected in this form oflupus. In most patients, only the skin and joints are affected(this is called minor organ threatening lupus). In  others, SLE also affects the kidneys, lungs, heart, blood vesselsand/or brain (this is major organ-threatening lupus)

Inthe UK approximately three in 10,000 people are thought to havelupus. People of Afro-Caribbean, Chinese and Asian descent are morelikely to develop lupus than white people. Although it can occur inboth men and women, 90% of people diagnosed with the disease arewomen

Fatigue: 

Nearlyalways a major factor in the lupus life is fatigue, and verydifficult for the specialist to treat. The fatigue may be severe,fleeting or persistent and can form a vicious circle, as the tiredpatient is unlikely to exercise and without exercise can becomelethargic. My wife is very strong and every day she fights theillness, she always has a positive attitude which gives me the reasonto push on.

Eachyear my wife has to go into hospital, and in 2010 the visits to thehospital increased due to an increase in different types of symptions- the staff and doctors at the hospital look after my wife with totalkindness and dedication. Cycling the tour de france helps me to givesomething back to the people at the hospital and to help to move theresearch that the hospital undertakes to bring a cure for Lupus.

Mybog - http://markwest1588.wix.com/markslupus 

Thanksfor visiting my fundraising page. Donating through Justgiving isquick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way tosponsor me: LUPUS UK gets your money faster and, if you're a UKtaxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3%supplement, are added to your donation. So please sponsor me now!