About

On 2nd May I will be attempting to complete the London West Tough Mudder; a British Special Forces designed assault course over a half marathon distance. Whilst an undeniable adrenalin junkie, I also - as many of you may remember - used to get myself signed off running the 1500m at school, so we shall have to see how I fare over 12 miles of farmland, forest and a daunting number of hills at Culden Faw estate near Henley-on-Thames. As well as immersing myself in troughs of ice; walking the plank into a pool of mud from a height of 12 foot; crawling through tunnels half underwater; and traversing all manners of walls, monkey bars and slopes, I will also be enduring electric shocks of 10,000volts on not one, but two different obstacles and running through clouds of a 'safe tear gas-like substance'. Voluntarily, you ask. Yes, but this is not in vain. Whilst undoubtedly seeking to satiate my appetite for danger, I am primarily hoping to raise some money for the MS Society. Multiple Sclerosis is a condition of the central nervous system which affects a large number of people in the UK (and, indeed, elsewhere) but also something about which very little is known. In sufferers of MS, the immune system - which usually does a brilliant job of protecting the body - sadly mistakes myelin, which coats the nerves in your CNS, for a foreign body which needs attacking. This results in messages between the body and the brain become disrupted, distorted or unable to get through altogether. Whilst one of the difficulties in 'treating' MS is that we do not currently know exactly why this happens, it also means - as the CNS connects messages from the brain to the rest of the body - that a vast variety of symptoms can arise, making each instance of MS somewhat unique to each person with the condition. There is also currently no 'cure'. The MS Society does a fantastic job of helping to find ways for those with MS to 'manage' this array of uncomfortable and often debilitating symptoms. The MS Society first and fore mostly funds research; something crucial in combatting the condition itself. However, it also does so much more than that; it provides information, support, grants and also campaigns on behalf of those with MS for them to receive the treatment they need, deserve and are eligible for without them having to individually fight for it themselves. I urge you to look at the MS Society's strategy available on their website as I certainly cannot better express their mission or the brilliant work they do. I need not tell most of you that MS is a subject close to my heart and thus it goes without saying that the MS Society is a cause I could not believe in more. Whilst it would mean a lot to me for you to donate any pounds and pennies you can spare to the cause, it will mean so much more to those who will very much directly benefit from your contribution.