Cycling For SMA UK
Why Cycle for SMA UK?
What do you know about the debilitating and destructive condition known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)?
If you're anything like me, you've just found out more about it from that first line than you knew 30 seconds ago. It's destructive and debilitating.
NHS UK defines SMA as "a genetic condition that makes the muscles weaker and causes problems with movement. It's a serious condition that gets worse over time"
Depending of the severity of the condition, which can present at various stages of life from childhood to teenage, people with SMA experience a progressive loss of muscle strength and facility. That's not just arms and legs. It directly impacts on all muscles, affecting breathing, swallowing, the most basic of human functions. The most obvious impact, though, is on mobility.
There is no cure!
There is, however, support for those with SMA and their families. Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK (https://smauk.org.uk/) provides advice, support and information about living with the condition for the SMA community; campaigns at local and national level for greater awareness of the condition and availability of assistance and treatment - even, now, drug programmes are proving amazingly successful in slowing muscular deterioration and in some case even returning a range of movement.
However, none of this is cheap. And it is NOT available to everyone.
Inspired by my amazing friend Sarah Howard, who has SMA, I am going to be taking on a series of endurance cycling challenges to raise at least £2500 and generate greater awareness of the work that SMA UK does for the SMA community. I have done long distance riding before, but never to the extent that I am going to be doing over the coming year.
I would love your support, so please feel free to comment on any of the posts on this blog, share the message with anyone and everyone you know and donate, if you can, at:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/marstonyork
I'm hoping there will be chances for you to join me on training rides, cheer me and other fundraisers on at cycling events across the UK and maybe even start your own fundraising campaigns. No challenge is easy, that's the point, but your support will help me reach my goals... some of which I am still setting.
This whole challenging adventure will culminate in an extreme endurance cycle from Land's End To John O'Groats (1000 miles in 9 days) in September 2020. Join me on my journey with #cyclomarssma2020 on all the socials, right here on the blog and maybe out on the road.
Help for today. Hope for Tomorrow.
See ya
M
26/09/19
Updated 10/03/2020
What do you know about the debilitating and destructive condition known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)?
If you're anything like me, you've just found out more about it from that first line than you knew 30 seconds ago. It's destructive and debilitating.
NHS UK defines SMA as "a genetic condition that makes the muscles weaker and causes problems with movement. It's a serious condition that gets worse over time"
Depending of the severity of the condition, which can present at various stages of life from childhood to teenage, people with SMA experience a progressive loss of muscle strength and facility. That's not just arms and legs. It directly impacts on all muscles, affecting breathing, swallowing, the most basic of human functions. The most obvious impact, though, is on mobility.
There is no cure!
There is, however, support for those with SMA and their families. Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK (https://smauk.org.uk/) provides advice, support and information about living with the condition for the SMA community; campaigns at local and national level for greater awareness of the condition and availability of assistance and treatment - even, now, drug programmes are proving amazingly successful in slowing muscular deterioration and in some case even returning a range of movement.
However, none of this is cheap. And it is NOT available to everyone.
Inspired by my amazing friend Sarah Howard, who has SMA, I am going to be taking on a series of endurance cycling challenges to raise at least £2500 and generate greater awareness of the work that SMA UK does for the SMA community. I have done long distance riding before, but never to the extent that I am going to be doing over the coming year.
I would love your support, so please feel free to comment on any of the posts on this blog, share the message with anyone and everyone you know and donate, if you can, at:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/marstonyork
I'm hoping there will be chances for you to join me on training rides, cheer me and other fundraisers on at cycling events across the UK and maybe even start your own fundraising campaigns. No challenge is easy, that's the point, but your support will help me reach my goals... some of which I am still setting.
This whole challenging adventure will culminate in an extreme endurance cycle from Land's End To John O'Groats (1000 miles in 9 days) in September 2020. Join me on my journey with #cyclomarssma2020 on all the socials, right here on the blog and maybe out on the road.
Help for today. Hope for Tomorrow.
See ya
M
26/09/19
Updated 10/03/2020
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