Anyone who knows me, knows that family comes first for me and exercise/keeping fit comes a close second....

My lovely Dad, Rob, was diagnosed with CMT back in 2015 not long after he retired. Charcot Marie Tooth Disease, CMT is a group of inherited conditions that damage the peripheral nerves. It's also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) or peroneal muscular atrophy (PMA). The peripheral nerves are found outside the main central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).They control the muscles and relay sensory information, such as the sense of touch, from the limbs to the brain. CMT is a progressive condition. This means the symptoms slowly get worse, making everyday tasks increasingly difficult. There is sadly no cure. CMT is the most common inherited neurological condition in the world, estimated to affect 1 in 2,500 people. 

Dad has always been a keen sportsman. In his younger days he loved all sorts: lacrosse, cricket, golf to name a few. In his retirement he had plans for lots of rounds of golf, gardening, world travel and dog walks all of which are now sadly more strained or not feasible anymore.

Dad experiences muscle weakness in his feet, ankles, legs, hands and arms. Trips and falls are much more common.  Walking and balancing is increasingly difficult and he has become reliant on walking blades for stability with the aid of walking poles for balance when out and about. He also experiences numbness in his hands and feet which makes simple tasks much more difficult; doing up shirt buttons, opening a jar or simply carrying a cup of tea to sit down are all now challenging. 

As a family we have all had to adjust to the way CMT is changing life for Dad and for us together as a family unit. It’s so sad and not easy to see someone you love feel frustrated and struggle to do everyday tasks, which you and I simply take for granted. 

With all of this in mind and trying to make best use of lockdown time, I wanted to raise some awareness about what Dad is going through, and to raise money for this fantastic charity. The CMT charity workers are so friendly, helpful and respond quickly when contacted. Each pack of information they send out costs the charity about £5 to produce and issue. They send this out without hesitation, nothing is too much trouble. Like with any charity, they cannot provide the support and advice without the donations, so here’s where I need your help please! 

I wanted to think of a way to raise money, something more than ‘just’ a one off half marathon race, something to symbolise the daily struggles Dad and many others go through. So I have tasked myself with an endurance challenge to run 10km (6.2 miles, circa 15,000 steps) every single day for the whole month of May! To raise money and awareness for CMT UK. There are 31 days in May so this will rack up a total of 310km or 193miles or circa 465,000 steps! I want to raise as much as I can, so please dig deep! 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I appreciate your support and kindness. A special shout out to my future brother in law, Chris Danks, who will be running with me for all weekends in May, I have no doubt he’ll offer support and giggles to help keep me going!! 

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.