On 3rd April 2015 I will compete in the Marathon Des Sables, a gruelling 156 mile 250km) 6 day ultra marathon event held in the Moroccan Sahara. I am funding my own expenses /costs to participate in this fabulous event. This will be the hardest physical challenge I have ever undertaken. It is widely accepted as being the hardest running event in the world. On one stage I will complete upto 57 miles (over two standard marathon lengths) don't forget this is in the dessert, carrying all my own kit and water for the day.

In doing this event I am also raising money for two related causes....... The Fire Fighters Charity and Peter Lau's wheelchair appeal.

You need to choose which one to donate to or give a little to each. Please note there are 2 different payment methods, one for each cause.

Peter Lau is an operational fire fighter who I have known and worked alongside for many years. Some of you will already know him. Peter and I share similar hobbies including cycling.

Peter was badly injured in a mountain bike accident in April 2014. He broke almost every rib, his shoulder and punctured both his lungs. Peter was placed in a coma for a month on a ventilator. In the accident Peter also shattered his T7 vertebra and severed his spinal cord.

He is making a good recovery and is now in a specialist spinal ward learning to live life as a paraplegic.

Peter's accident struck me really hard as like many of my friends Peter enjoyed getting out on his bike, having a good craic with biking pals and keeping fit. His accident reminded me that anyone of us could be struck by such a life changing event.

I want to help Peter buy a decent wheelchair so he can enjoy getting outdoors again.

A wheelchair suitable for sporting activities can cost over £4,000!!

To donate to Peter's wheelchair appeal click on the following link 

http://www.gofundme.com/dpaftc

The Fire Fighters Charity provides care, welfare, post operation /surgery, general and specific rehabilitation and support to fire service members, retired members and their families. They will also be helping Peter with his rehabilitation once he eventually leaves hospital. 

Many of my family, friends and colleagues have already attended the fantastic facilities that the fire fighters charity have. 

All come back from these facilities praising the quality of care they receive. Stays in these facilities are not classed as holidays, you have to work  hard to improve yourself. You are given top class physio, rehabilitation, support and care.

To donate to The Fire Fighters Charity click on the donate button on this page.

Please help me to support these causes by donating to them. Your support will be my inspiration when I'm struggling through the dessert. 

You will be able to track my progress daily, once the event is underway. In the meantime view a summary of the race by clicking on the following link, or copy and paste it in your web browser.

http://www.marathondessables.co.uk/site/content/overview

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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 for the charity.