My father-in-law Paul is without a doubt one of the best people I know.

That was clear from the first time I met him. He passed Roberta, my now-wife and I in the car as we were walking, screeched to a halt on the busy road, and insisted on giving us a lift to wherever we were heading. Within ten minutes of learning my name - it was early days for Bert & I - he’d offered me dinner, an invite to a family BBQ the following weekend, and a free service on my car. He’d have given me the shirt off his back if he could, but thankfully he was driving.

I warmed to him immediately, and we’ve been good friends ever since.

Paul worked as a mechanic for over 40 years. He’s always loved cars, motorcycles, and general adventure - a practical, hands-on man with very few things he couldn’t physically fix. If something stopped working, Paul was your guy.

That’s why when it was confirmed Paul had Motor Neurones Disease back in January 2024, the diagnosis felt particularly cruel. MND is one of the toughest conditions to live with, is fundamentally unfixable, and for someone like Paul - someone so capable and self-sufficient - it’s been heartbreaking to accept this new reality.

It started several months previous, when he noticed some weakness and restricted movement in his right hand. There were a few false diagnoses - arthritis, carpal tunnel - but by that January, aged 67 it was as good as confirmed: MND.

In the 18 months since, he’s lost full use of his right arm, most of his left, and is now seeing signs in his right leg and throat. These should have been the years he started enjoying his retirement.

True to form, Paul has fought to adapt. He’s worked hard to stay independent and maintain a positive mindset. But he describes the overwhelming frustration of needing help with basic tasks - showering, dressing, eating - especially when there’s no treatment plan, no cure, and no reversal.

MND and FTD run in Paul’s family so it wasn’t a huge shock when he tested positive for a faulty C9orf72 gene - the most common genetic driver of MND. This gene was only identified in 2011, and while that’s a huge leap for research, we’re still a long way from being able to prevent or treat the disease.

That’s why supporting research into MND means so much to me and my family - not just because of Paul, but because of the risk to my wife and sister-in-law, and future generations of the family too.

I couldn’t be prouder to be running the London Marathon for the MND Association. It’s been a long-time dream of mine, and to be doing it for a cause so personal makes it all the more meaningful.

I’ve set myself an ambitious fundraising target, but I’m determined to hit it over the next 10 months. Please donate whatever you can - both Paul and I, and the wider MND community are hugely grateful for your support.