How fundraising for the MS Trust helps me to help my daughter


11 April 2019

Nick is taking part in the Great North Run for the third time in September and this year his daughter Amie will be joining him on Team MS Trust for her first half marathon. Here, Nick and Amie tell us about the inspiration behind their fundraising.

Nick’s story

The Great North Run is a very special occasion, with a fantastic atmosphere and brilliant support from the people in the North East and ‘race tourists’ alike. As it is a half marathon it is a little less daunting than a full marathon but still a big challenge and fantastic achievement for those taking part.

I first chose to raise money for the MS Trust when I entered the 2016 London Marathon. I wanted to ‘do something’ that would help my daughter Charlotte, who was diagnosed early in 2015, just before her 21st Birthday.  As a parent of someone living with MS you feel somewhat helpless and other than providing comfort and offering re-assurance, I didn’t know what else I could do.  Little did I know that training for, and running in, the London Marathon would lead to me being bitten by the running bug and I soon found myself signed up for the  Great North Run in 2017 and then again in 2018.

Helping to fund the great work of the MS Trust means I can help my daughter Charlotte, and others living with the condition, via the MS Trust’s support for training MS Nurses throughout the NHS.  

The information that the MS Trust provide and their helpline is also a great way to remove much of the misinformation surrounding this condition which seems to be in the news so often nowadays, with articles claiming ‘miracle cures’ making a semi-regular appearance.  I believe it is vital to provide people with accurate, fact-based information as they come to terms with and learn to live with this debilitating condition.

 

Amie’s story

I decided to join my dad in this year’s Great North Run because I wanted to be part of this fab day. I have watched it on television over the years and the whole atmosphere on the day looks amazing! I have never ran any further than 10K so this will be a personal challenge for me and to enter it with my dad is fantastic. 

He has inspired me with his running and seeing him do it for such a good cause is even more of a reason to do it with him! 

I look forward to a great day, raising money for a great charity and doing it with my dad! Now all I’ve got to do is complete it. 

Do you or someone you know have a ballot place in the 2019 Great North Run? Nick shares his top tips for taking part.

Training for the Great North Run is challenging as the summer weather can be warm and dry (honest it can!) which means you need to stay well hydrated. But the long daylight hours mean that early morning or evening runs are a great opportunity to get out in the countryside and enjoy the views and wildlife, if you’re lucky enough to live out of town that is.  My advice would be to include plenty of long runs of 8 to 10 miles in your plan, and unless you’re heading for a relatively quick time then take the tapering and ‘carbing up’ with a pinch of salt as I have found my best times are when I simply treat the half marathon as part of a normal training regime.

On the day itself, the crowd really do pull you along; so get your name printed on your vest and come and join the fun!

Email the Fundraising Team to join Team MS Trust at the Great North Run with a ballot place.