My 6-year-old nephew, Luca, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) just over 3 years ago. He is a bright, funny, adorable boy who just wants to run, jump, walk and play football but sadly, with every day that passes, his muscles are wasting away. 

Between the ages of 8 and 14 his muscles won't allow him to do any of those things any more and he'll need a wheelchair to get around. Then his heart and his lungs will get weaker, he'll need help to breathe, and he'll gradually lose the ability to move. Eventually his heart and lungs will fail him, most likely before he reaches 30.

So all our Team Luca fundraising efforts - in my case the 25km London Bridges Trekk and the Brussels Belfius Half Marathon - will go directly to the Duchenne Breakthrough Fund. This fund was created by Muscular Dystrophy UK to support international research into treatments for DMD. This fund has already brought forward potential therapies and more breakthroughs are happening everyday. So every cent or penny you can spare really does count.

If you want to find out more about my challenges for Team Luca please visit http://www.thamespathchallenge.com/thames-bridges-trek  or http://www.sport.be/brusselsmarathon/2016/en/ 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast, totally secure and can be done in sterling or euros. 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.