Hi,

As many of you know I have spent the last 12 or so months training for the Marathon des Sables - 'The Toughest Footrace on Earth.'  

The event will involve me running 7 back-to-back marathons over a week in the Sahara Desert.  I have to carry everything I need (apart from my water!) on my back for the duration.  The tempreture will be 40C in the day and -5C at night.

My motivation for doing this event was purely personal.  I'm turning 40 next year and felt it was about time for a mid-life crisis (I really should have just bought a sports car), also I completed my first marathon on the year I turned 30 so there was a nice symettery to entering another race.  However, as a personal event and challange, I had wanted to keep it all on a low profile.

 Let me be clear - I am super excited about the MDS and consider it a real treat - not a chore - to be competing.

However, as time has passed more and more people have asked how they can sponsor me and I have begun to realise that it is a little selfish of me not to put a few pounds in a charity's coffers if people want and are willing to do so.

As a lot of you will also know, I have had a long association with the Lord's Taverners - a brilliant charity that helps kids, especially with special needs, a sporting chance.  The Tav's provide speciliast wheelchairs, play centres and minibuses that help children with disability or those that are disadvantaged to get involved with sport.  The investment the LT's makes has put British Paralympians on the podium and smiles on countless children's faces.

There's no target and no pressure to offer any sponsorship, but if you want to you can really help.