DAVID’S ULTRA ENDURANCE CHALLENGES TO SUPPORT MY DAD AND PROGRESSIVE SUPRANUCLEAR PALSY
So this is my story and how I am dealing with and getting used to the shock of this Illness my Dad has. A little about me? I am a “Vegan Ultra Endurance Athlete” which will help alot considering what I am doing to raise money for PSP. I come from a competitive sporting back ground being GB junior British Champion in Alpine Skiing. I am a Sports Therapist and Personal Trainer by trade having left the full time Military last year. I am also due to start studying Nutrition and especially “Plant Based Nutrition” and the benefits of it fighting illness and poor health. My challenges have already started completing the “Brighton Marathon” in April in 3:27:00 which I was pleased with and continues all the way round to the “London Marathon” next April where I will be obviously running in a PSP vest.
The events I am doing along the way keep growing in numbers, but here is what’s in store for me so far.
Brighton Marathon April 2013 (Completed)
Ironman Lanzarote in on the 18th May (Completed)
PruHealth London Triathlon on the 1st June
Ironman Nice on the 30th June
Brutal Extreme 10km Open Water swim (TBC)
Brutal Extreme Double Ironman on the 20th September
London Marathon 2015
There is so more events after these in the pipe line leading from the end of the year through to the London Marathon, I will update those as and when i can confirm them. I will be planning in some serious recovery after the double so I can get back to training fairly quickly.
The Picture above is me about to swim across the widest point in Loch Ness 2012[/caption]My Dad is 72 years old now and has had a roller coaster of a ride with his health over the last 20 years. He has suffered four heart attacks! yes four! so as you can imagine it hasn’t been an easy ride. Last summer when I returned from Afghanistan I was told that we suspected my Dad had Dementia.
After a series of tests they came back negative and everyone was really happy but very confused also because Dad wasn’t himself at all. He couldn’t remember things and stringing conversations together was very hard for him. His balance was a real concern also as he had fallen down the stairs and also he would often fall over in his bedroom. The final thing that finally alerted the medical teams was his sight. He could no longer look up at you when he was talking to you and had lost his peripheral sight. Finally someone picked it up and we were sent to the Neurologist for a final diagnosis. I have known for some time that my Dad was on a slope going down and that we needed to do something about it fast to make his life as comfortable as possible for him. Finally I got in touch with the lovely people at PSP and we are now under there guidance and expertise.
I have just competed in the Ironman Lanzarote was a 2.4 mile open water swim followed by a 112 miles bike course around the island and lastly a 26.2 mile run along the sea front in Puerto del Carman.
Below is my links to my charity page and thank you all for your support.
www.justgiving.com/David-Meer2