About Me

If you'd have told me a year ago that I would be running a half marathon in little over a year's time, I'd have probably laughed it off and congratulated you on finding your calling in life as a comedian. In an effort to enliven the mediocrity that is my life, I set myself a goal over summer to try and run a sub 45 minute 10K, small disclaimer: I used to hate running and oddly stumbled into the hobby around a month ago. Somehow the timing of this coincided with a friend's goal of completing a half marathon and, like the fool I am, I enthusiastically signed myself up thinking it would be a piece of cake. The gravity of the ordeal has only recently settled in as I started training, leading me to question my sanity and my rational decision making skills. However, this whole thing isn't a pity page about Jireh, it's about raising money for a noble and amazing cause, so there will be no more moping around on my part - at least until I start running. In all seriousness, I'm being terribly disingenuous and couldn't be more excited to see what can be achieved, and doing so whilst raising awareness and (hopefully) money for charity is a bonus.

The Cause

Alzheimer's Disease, commonly referred to as Alzheimer's, is a neurodegenerative disease affecting about 6% of people aged 65 years and older. It is the most common form of dementia and results in the progressive loss of brain function, due to the degeneration and death of neuron cells in the brain. There is currently no cure. The real tragedy of Alzheimer's is the way in which it gradually limits cognitive function and restricts one's independence. Imagine having trouble recalling the faces of your loved ones, or the distress you would feel if you struggled to complete a simple task such as working out how much money you needed to give at checkout - things we give little thought to in our day-to-day. Patients eventually become wholly dependent on others as they lose mobility and speech. This comes at a hefty physical, emotional and mental cost to caregivers.