Having completed Cambridge Half and Brighton Marathon this year, as well as a cycle from London to Amsterdam in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK, it’s now time to take on London Marathon.

Losing my Grandad to Alzheimer’s was a painful, heart-wrenching experience as his memory slowly faded before he passed away a shadow of his former self, the impeccably fit and strong man I grew up in admiration of. One particular example comes to mind when I think of his strength of mind. He used to use the rowing machine everyday, even following his diagnosis, until one day, he simply forgot how to. This example displays simply how cruel a disease Alzheimer’s is and how it can strip people of their fondest memories and daily activities piece by piece until there are none left. Grandad sadly passed away but he left a legacy, a legacy to all his former pupils whom we as a family often hear from and to his local community as well as of course his family.

He also left a legacy of strength and of whole hearted commitment to any and every challenge ahead. When the miles get tough I know, imagining Grandad cheering me on will keep me moving forward, as I know he would have.

The pain watching him deteriorate caused fuels my desire to push my own body to the limits in order to stop others suffering as he did. It is my hope that through completing these challenges in his name, not only will his memory live on, but it will help others to keep their own treasured memories and loved ones through making breakthroughs possible. 

Each day, we hear horrifying stories of the effects that Alzheimer’s has on sufferers and their families. Notably for my own family, each day we seem to hear of more news former footballers and rugby players who are diagnosed with the disease at an awfully young age. It is truly frightening. Research is the only way we can help prevent this disease.

No donation is too big or too small and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart if you would donate. Equally I thank you for reading this page and helping me to raise awareness.

Please read the stories below from the team who ran the Cambridge Half Marathon. Their words show the profound effect this disease has on sufferers and their families, including my own.

“We are a Team of various ages and running abilities (ABB, Alice, George, George, Georgi, Joe and Yas). 

Please read Below for our individual reasons for running:

Alice Dale "I am running for my grandad, Pop, who lived with Alzheimer’s for the last few years of his life until we sadly lost him in 2019. A kind, gentle and loving person with a great sense of humour, I’ll be thinking of him and everyone else who has been impacted by Alzheimer’s as I put one foot in front of the other and make it round the route! Every donation matters and we are all hugely appreciative of any contributions to our fundraising efforts. Together we can make a difference!"

George Jefford ““Really delighted to be running Cambridge Half Marathon with George, Yas, Georgi, Jacob and Alice. It’s a fantastic cause and one that is close to my heart. My grandmother Celia passed away in 2019 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years before and subsequently developing dementia. Hopefully by doing this race we can raise awareness to help Alzheimer’s Research UK. Thank you so much for any support you can give us! X”

George Sutton “I am running for my Grandad and the whole footballing community who have been affected by Alzheimer’s. Grandad, the strongest of men lost what were meant to be some of his best years due to his heading of footballs. He is one of many. The fittest of men, the disease slowed his sharp brain and wit and took away his wonderful memories. The greatest of role models and epitome of fitness. It fills me with great pride to run in his memory but great sadness that he was lost so soon after a life full of health. Every penny counts in trying to find a cure to stop others from suffering and will help me through the endeavours of Cambridge Half, Thames 20 Miles, Brighton Marathon and London Marathon in 2022.  Please help us in any way we can. I’m sure it will power us through those difficult miles! Thank you x”

The important thing is we are all running the Cambridge Half Marathon on 6th March 2022 for Alzheimer’s Research UK. All running for different, very personal reasons. United by the same goal, we are running to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and stop the suffering for future generations. We are running for the ones we have lost, for our memories we have and for those who spent their lives creating memories only to lose them to the most cruel of diseases.

It is vitally important we make the breakthrough. Currently Alzheimer’s is outracing so many of our loved ones, their cherished memories and we want and need that to change. Please help us to hold on to them and help us to make the difference with Research, to end Alzheimer’s once and for all.

Thank you so much for reading this page and if you would like to donate, we would all be so grateful. It really does mean the world to us!

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.”