I take part in a challenge each year in memory of my dad who passed away on September 10th 2007 with cancer. This is my way to remember him in my own way and let my thoughts and anger push me to the limit, to raise money for Macmillan and help other cancer sufferers when they need it. 

Every year I push my limits with something crazy. In previous years I.....

* Ran the South Coast Challenge 100km Ultra marathon - 2016 (17h:16m)

* Swam 5 miles as (320 lengths) in my local pool, as I was injured and couldn't run - 2015 (Approx 3h:30m)

* Ran the Isle of Wight Coastal path (78 miles) with 3 friends over a weekend - 2014 (Sat 8am - Sunday 8pm)

* Ran 15 miles, cycled 40 miles and swam 3 miles in my own style triathlon to complete 58 miles (my dads age when he passed away) - 2013 (Approx 7 hours)

* Ran 10 miles in under 1h:20m every day for 10 days (100 miles in 10 days) - Sept 10th 2012

* Took part in my first ever race....the London marathon - Apr 2012 (3h:46m)

As training for some of these challenges, I've also taken part in numerous 24 hour endurance races, running between 30-62 miles in all, depending on the size of my team. Every year it gets a little more crazy and harder to find a challenge worthy, that my broken body can actually do.

This year I've decided to compete in 4 races in the same weekend at the Bournemouth marathon festival. The schedule will be...

Sat 7th October

- 10km supersonic race @ 4pm

- 5km supernova race @ 7pm

Sun 8th October

- Half marathon @ 8am (need to be completed in 1h:45m to get back for the full)

- Full marathon @ 10am

It works out as 48.6 miles (approx) over the 4 races. I won't be aiming for any particular time other than the half marathon which is needed just to get back in time for the full marathon. The rest are all just about endurance and pushing my body to the limit.

Sorry to share my heart but this is why I do it.....

I had a Dad who was my worst critic! He picked out every mistake and hardly ever mentioned the positives after every football game he came to watch. At the time I couldn't understand this and it made it difficult to talk to him after every match I played. What I've realised since, is that all he wanted was to see me be the best I could be and it was his words that made me better, stronger and more determined to be a winner. Although at times I didn't appreciate them, now I do....but it's too late!

I have many regrets towards the relationship I had with my Dad and the challenges I do and raising money for charity are my way of putting them right. This page is my chance to tell you why I want to run in memory of such an incredible man......

When playing for Walsall F.C between 2006-2008, my Dad was fighting a battle with cancer for the third time. After being a footballer himself, being very fit and never smoking, my family and I were devastated and never thought it would happen to him. He lived on the south coast of England so I didn't see him often, as I lived a couple of hours away,
which meant he couldn't get to see me play for Walsall much. When I lifted the League Two Championship Trophy as the captain of Walsall FC, he wasn't there to see it and it's achievements like that, that he would have wanted to see. Like I said, he was my worst critic but all he ever wanted was to see me succeed! At the time his criticism made me scared to speak to him too much about football over the phone, as he always picked out my errors, but little did I know there would come a day SOON, when I could only see his name on my phone but not be
able to call him and hear his voice, as he's not there anymore! His name and number still remains on my phone to this day.

Towards the end I received a call telling me he had been taken into hospital and it was time, so I dropped everything to get there before it happened. He never opened his eyes again so I never got to say goodbye, see him smile or just see his eyes acknowledge me one last time, but he was still breathing when I arrived.

The doctors told us he had enough sedatives to sedate a horse just to get him to sleep so he was comfortable. He was a fighter and the amount of sedatives that took to get him to sleep was no surprise, he never gave up! My family were already there so I know he was waiting for me to get there. I sat next to him and held his hand for long periods through the night until the sun was rising. It was an amazing red sunrise which was so fitting and we all took a photo of it which I still have on
my phone, it just seemed right! After the photo we all sat back round my Dad and opened the back door of his room which had a beautiful green just outside. It was very peaceful and as my Dad was a nature lover it was something he would have wanted, to be able to smell the fresh air. It seemed like my Dad was a magnet to all things beautiful and with the doors open, squirrels began to creep up to the door searching for food. My Dad would have been in his element and this was just what he would have wanted. 

Minutes later whilst holding my Dad's hand he took his last deep breath. I can remember thinking as my eyes filled up "Come on Dad, one more breath, inhale again.....don't leave me!" 

My Dad passed away at the age of 58 on 10th September 2007 and my world stopped....I was crushed! I had so many regrets that I never put right, one of which was that I never thanked him for all his help in my career, but most of all, I was too much of a man to tell him I loved him and I was proud to have him as my Dad. I was so scared to say goodbye, I never said it to his face and I even gave his partner a letter to read to him when the time came. I should have said it myself!!!

My gift to my Dad was to achieve something and give a little back, so at his funeral I buried my Championship medal with him. That was my thank you for the lessons he had taught me and for making me who I am today. It was the most memorable moment of my career and it sleeps with him until I see him again.

Since that day I've lived with regrets and I've realised that life is too short to say "I'm thinking about doing it!" when you might not get the chance. I have been talking about the London Marathon since I was a boy and I used to watch it with my Dad. Football always prevented me from taking part in it. Since retiring through knee injuries it looked even less likely that I would be able to do it. But in 2012 I grabbed my chance and was ready to prove I could do it and raise as much money for Macmillan Cancer Support to help the people and the friends and families of those that have had cancer or are fighting the battle. I have since gone on to do the challenges mentioned above. 

This year will be something different, dealing with the stiffness of stopping between races and being able to go through the pain barrier to get started again. It will be a mental battle but I will succeed, as I don't know how to fail.......my dad taught me that!!!

I have decided to dedicate at least one challenge each year to raising money for Macmillan in memory of my dad, until the day I die! Doing these challenges is my way of being close to my dad and remembering a GREAT man and the BEST dad I could have wished for!

This has always been a very personal story and one which I have never shared outside of my family until I started fundraising! All I ask is that you support me in my fundraising and donate as much as you can spare to help me run for such a worthy cause. It doesn't have to be a lot, just what you can afford and I guarantee, I WILL NOT LET ANY OF YOU DOWN!!!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Fundraising is hugely important to Macmillan. Without people doing events, running marathons, climbing mountains, and donating in all the other ways that you can, Macmillan wouldn’t exist.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.