The 7th February 2011 will always be a milestone date in my life - this is the date that I lost my incredible dad Tim to Motor Neurone Disease.

He was the most amazing person -  my partner in crime, and my best friend - anyone that knows us both know we're pretty much the same person. Tim ran the most successful window cleaning company on the south coast, and was also a HUGE character in Dorset and Hampshire football, playing as a goalkeeper through the 80’s and 90’s, and as a manager up until he had to hang up his boots due to his illness. There were two things my dad loved in life 1) football, and 2) A KILLER TAN!

In March 2010, he started to lose strength in his right hand - he could no longer hold a pen or his equipment to continue working. We thought it could be down to repetitive strain injury, but then he started getting fasciculation in his arm. A month or so went by and our worst fears were confirmed. I was 15 at the time and remember coming home from school, finding my dad in bed crying and asking him if he had a brain tumour - and he said "I wish". 

He was diagnosed with MND, which is an incurable and cruel condition where your muscles attack themselves and leaves your body paralysed. There's no cure, no knowledge on how it starts - but only one way it will end. He deteriorated really quickly, was unable to walk, move his arms, and eventually talk or breath by himself. 

My mum was incredible, she didn’t receive any help, and quit her full time job to look after him because he needed 24-hour care. She was superhuman and continued to run his business, alongside a part-time job, so Thursday and Friday nights, and a Saturday morning were my dedicated hours to look after him. What people may not know about me is that I’d do a full day of school and then go home to care for him, feed him, make him drink, move him around so he didn’t get bed sores, and even help him to the toilet. Our whole house was changed into a hospital - hoists, chair lifts, toilet commode, wheelchairs - everything about our normal life was totally transformed. 

Fast forward a few months to February 2011 things were really bad and my dad was moved into a hospital bed in our lounge to receive palliative care. I remember going to school on a Monday morning and telling my best friend my dad was going to die tonight, she told me not to be silly, but I knew in my heart of hearts he was slipping away. Why I went to school that day? I'll never know. But I went home, sat with him all night holding his hand, talking to him. He was plugged into an oxygen machine but we could still tell each other how much we loved one another, and what fun we'd had, and at about 6pm I held his hand and stroked his hair until he found his peace.

And here we are, with a blink of an eye but what also seems like an eternity, we're ten years from that moment. I can’t believe how quickly yet torturously slow its been since I've seen his face. BUT! It seems after a pandemic of people doing what they can to raise money, it feels like a perfect opportunity to take on a challenge, and do something great in his memory.

That's why we've decided on the May bank holiday, what would be my dad's 64th birthday, we will be cycling the distance across Dorset and Hampshire of all the football clubs he ever played for, or managed, and trust me there are plenty of them!! We've got over 100 miles across 12 clubs in total who I've been talking to over the last month and have been so helpful.

THE ROUTE:

We will be starting at AFC Stoneham in Eastleigh, working our way around the New Forest, through Bournemouth, over to the Purbeck's and then finishing at Cobham Sports - his last club. These are approximate times we'll be at each ground.

Saturday 29th May

AFC STONEHAM - 10.30am

BROCKENHURST FC - 12pm - 12.20pm

LYMINGTON TOWN FC - 1pm - 1.20pm

BASHLEY FC - 2pm - 2.20pm

NEW MILTON TOWN FC - FAWCETT'S FIELD - 2.35pm - 2.50pm

BOURNEMOUTH SPORTS - CHAPEL GATE - 3.50pm

Sunday 30th May

BOURNEMOUTH SPORTS - CHAPEL GATE - 10.30am

BOURNEMOUTH POPPIES FC - 11am - 11.15am

SWANAGE TOWN & HERSTON FC - 1.15pm - 1.35pm

WIMBORNE TOWN FC - 3.35pm

Monday 31st May

WIMBORNE TOWN FC - 10.30am

CRANBORNE FC - 11.45am - 12pm

VERWOOD FC - 12.30pm  - 12.45pm

MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS FC - 2pm FINISH!!

All proceeds will go to the MNDA, a charity which supports those with the disease and their family members. I would be so grateful for people to support us in anyway they can for this challenge. No donation is too big or small, I know things are so difficult for people at the moment. Just £10 can provide support for a young person to understand what their loved one is going through. £80 can buy the software to enable for someone to record their own voice so they can continue to communicate even when they can’t speak, and £100 can fund the laboratory for two days of vital research into this incurable disease. 

Any help would be so amazing, and can't wait for you to join us on the Tour de Tim!! x