When your "why" is big enough

Eek!

I am doing the London Triathlon, and I don't know how this has happened. One minute, I'm a 16 1/2 stone couch potato, very good at watching sport, even better at discussing sport, but never actually DOING it.

Now, I face 15 1/2 km of sheer hell. Why? Let me tell you a story.

This is why I am doing it. Last year my father in law, Bill, got ill. It didn't seem too serious to start with. Tummy pains, feeling sick and always tired/achey/ no umph.

The doctors said one thing, then another. Then, yet another.

The long and short of it was he was diagnosed with late onset Coeliacs Disease. Sadly it was picked up too late. He got worse. It lead inevitably and commonly to T-cell Lymphoma and sadly, after a short period we lost him.

Could this have been avoided? I don't know. Could it have been spotted earlier? Yes.

That is why I am doing it. My brother in law was tested, as was all the family, and yes! He has Coeliacs disease. It makes sense now - but we didn't know.

There are some 500,000 people who have it and don't yet know it.(research estimate)

Every day Coeliac Uk handle in the region of 80 calls from people trying to get help. They campaign to educate GPs, and they are lobbying to see changes in the way our hospitals cater for in patients. (We had to take Bill's food in to him as the hospital could not cater for him).

That is why I am doing it!

What will you do? I am trying to raise £15,700. That is £1000 per km. It isn't really very much is it. Just 1000 people donating £15.70. The cost of 3 packets of cigarettes. The cost of 7 Starbuck coffees. The cost of a round on Friday night. The cost of a Crispy Duck. Not much huh?

If I do what I can - that is to compete: will you do what you can - that is to donate?

I hope you will and thank you in advance!!!

The rest of this blog is to act as a diary of my trials and tribulations. The diet program, the fitness program. The lot. Please comment. Please support me. Please donate.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you the other side of the finishing tape.

Roarke