My eldest daughter Tallulah, who is now 21 years old, was
diagnosed with a rare form of Ataxia specifically type AOA2. (For more details about Ataxia please visit www.ataxia.org.uk)

From an early age, T’s balance and coordination were not as they should have been, she never learned to ride a bike, and other everyday activities began to prove challenging.

We started investigations at the Children's Hospital, in Bristol, when T was 11, and over the following 6 years she was seen by numerous Specialists.. T was finally referred to Neurology in October 2016. The following 12 months were filled with a whirlwind, of appointments, tests and finally a diagnosis in May 2017. She was given the, news that she had an extremely rare form of Ataxia, affecting only 2 in a million people. At the time Tallulah said that she felt a strange mix of relief that the search was finally over, and disbelief that she really did have something wrong with her.

Tallulah started at Sheffield University in September 2017 and despite fighting this condition every day she enjoys University life as much as she can. She has risen to the challenge of dealing with both physical and emotional issues.. Her sister Maddie is now at Manchester University and is a continual support to her big sister.

As a family we want EVERYONE to know about Ataxia. We have been working on a number of different fund-raising events over the past 18 months in order to raise money for more research and ultimately to find a treatment or ideally a cure.

This race promises to be grueling and includes a 1500m
lake swim, followed by a 40k bike ride, and ending with a 10k run! Not sure that doing my first triathlon at 54 years old is a good idea, but I’m passionate about doing this for Ataxia UK and Tallulah! Please support me and donate if you
can. Thank you very much Phil x