David Runs The Berlin Marathon
David Saunders is raising money for British Heart Foundation
Story
In February 2021 lockdown life had taken its toll. I weighed 21 stone and was just accepting chest and back pain as part of my everyday life... I decided to do something to improve my heart (and mental) health and so started running for the first time since school (which was a good couple of decades ago).
Over the following months, I conditioned my body to get used to pounding the pavements again, eventually competing in numerous 10k events and eventually working my way up to running half-marathon distance... I also lost a few stones too.
I now intend to dedicate my free time to train for the Berlin Marathon to raise money for the British Heart Foundation for a few reasons that are significant to me…
The main driving force behind taking up running and what spurs me on to dig deep and persevere is to improve the health of my heart. With a history of heart-related illnesses in my family, I didn't want anything to happen that left my daughter without a dad. I value the work the British Heart Foundation does in raising awareness about heart health and funding medical science that helps develop treatments to keep families together and I want to support that.
I also want to run in memory of my grandad John, who suffered two heart attacks in his lifetime and who developed diabetes later in life, and my grandma Joan, who died due to a blood clot after sustaining an injury in December 2021. Both were influential figures in my life who, if they were still here, would be proud of my running achievements.
And I want to run for a good friend whose heart stopped at work but thanks to the quick thinking of his colleagues and the availability of a defibrillator unit was revived and has since recovered. His story as well as those of other close friends who have had heart-related health scares and medical conditions have been in my thoughts during this journey.
Running a marathon will be a big challenge but one I am willing to rise to in order to raise money for an organisation that helps people live longer and healthier lives. If you can donate, please do.