The 26th April would have been the London Marathon, which is not only an incredible sporting event, but has a vital role in raising money to help charities deliver life-saving work. A number of marathons and community fundraising events are going to be cancelled this year and it is going to have a big impact on our work - just when we need to do even more to deal with the after effects of COVID-19. That's why I am taking part in the two point six challenge this week, which has been launched to ensure that charities can raise the money needed to ensure that COVID-19 doesn't damage more lives.

Rabies kills at least 100 children a day. It affects the poorest people in the world and is vastly under-reported, because these people often can't afford to reach hospitals. Conventional methods of rabies control are inappropriate for the countries that carry the greatest burden, because they lack the infrastructure to implement them. Our projects use methods that have dramatically reduced deaths from rabies at two major sites in India and Malawi and shown that rabies can be prevent in even the toughest of environments. The positive results of our programmes have been reported in the Lancet, the British Medical Journal and the New York Times. 

A third of all rabies deaths occur in India with 4.5 million human exposures every year. Goa is on track to be the first State in India to be declared rabies-free, because of our work. There have been no rabies deaths  for the last two years. This will be a massive milestone in the fight against rabies India. We desperately need to prevent a spike in rabies cases in the aftermath of this pandemic, just as people are allowed to go outside again.  We will need to work harder than ever before, re-doubling our efforts to prevent the re-emergence of rabies in the state and ensure that we vaccinate the 70% of the dog population required to create herd immunity there and create a barrier that stops transmission to people. That's why I'm taking on the challenge.

As many people know, 20 minutes in the company of Joe Wicks can leave you exhausted, out of breath and a little dizzy. I will be taking on 2.6 HIIT workouts in a row (well 3 for 60 minutes). Tarin has added the wonderful suggestion that I should do it in 26 pieces of clothing. The 2.6 challenge runs for a week, so I will take this week to mental prepare and get in the Zone then take on the challenge on Saturday 2nd May. Tarin will adjudicate and collect video evidence should anyone require it.

I know that it's a tough time and there a lots of very worthy causes out there, but if you think you could spare a little then it would be greatly appreciated. If you are bored at home and fancy helping a good cause then why not drop me a line, we'll start a group challenge and take it on together.

If you donate £26 or over then I will let you pick at least one item of clothing that I have to wear - this could be a wooly jumper or an item of fancy dress - such as a viking hat or Borat mankini (I will also take counter bids to stop me wearing this). People providing sufficient funds will be provided with a full menu of ridiculous items to pick from.

Anything at all counts and will help us secure more funding to make sure that rabies doesn't re-emerge during the current lockdown. Our emergency rabies response teams in India and Malawi work day and night to ensure this doesn't happen. Our teams respond immediately whenever people report a rabid dog in their area. The teams collect rabid dogs, help quarantine animals that have been bitten and ensure people get vaccinated. Last year our teams received 4,260 calls - we simply cannot let these calls go unanswered.

Our work is also important for the welfare of the animals, because the lockdown has shut restaurants and vastly reduced the availability of food. Our teams in India are feeding animals that live on the street or have been separated from their owners due to lockdown and are in desperate need of food. Every day, often twice a day, our team care for hundreds of stray dogs.  This feeding work also has a public health benefit by reducing movement in the dog population that might lead to an increased risk of transmission. Our teams deal with animal emergencies as well as responding to reports of suspected rabies cases. This includes everything from dogs with their heads stuck in plastic containers to dogs with serious bite wounds after a fight – all just from trying to find food, and survive on the streets. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my page, reading this and anything you could give would be greatly appreciated.

I hope you're all keeping safe and well.

Cheers,

Gareth