Ben Prior, Elliott Grant, Andy Prickett and Kieren Unwin aim to raise £50,000 for the Atkinson Morley Neurology Wing of St George’s Hospital in South London by running the Marathon des Sables. For our sponsorship page, please click here.
WHAT IS THE MARATHON DES SABLES?
The Marathon des Sables is a 6 day, 251 kms (156 miles) ultra-marathon run through the Sahara Desert. It is considered to be the toughest foot race on earth, thanks in part to the oppressive landscape and temperatures that reach 50 degrees.
The race route, and distance varies slightly each year and it is split into stages, with the longest stage usually exceeding 80km (in 2009 it was 91km).
Each contestant is required to carry a minimum amount of emergency equipment, as well as all their food, supplies, clothing and sleeping gear for the duration of the race.
Due to the extreme nature of the race, members of our team are training by competing in ironman triathlons, marathons and culminating in a 40 mile ultra-marathon in the Brecon Beacons in mid-December.
MARATHON DES SABLES 2014 – OUR MOTIVES
In March 2013, our friend, Nick Fletcher was moving into his new flat in Wandsworth when he was struck by a falling telegraph pole. He was rushed to hospital, and was eventually admitted to the Atkinson Morley Neurology Wing of St George’s Hospital in Tooting.
Due to the vast weight of the large wooden pole that had fallen on him, he sustained a number of skull fractures and a traumatic brain injury, which left him in a coma for over three weeks. However thanks to the superb care he received, Nick was finally brought out of his coma and started on the slow road to recovery.
Before long however, he was on his feet, walking the ward and terrorising the nurses and soon became known as the "Miracle Man". Whilst Nick was an incredibly fit and active young man, it is without a doubt that a large part of his success in recovery is due to the excellence of the care he received on the Atkinson Morley wing.
Furthermore, Kieren, one of the team taking on the Marathon des Sables challenge has also been the lucky recipient of care from the Atkinson Morley Hospital, as it then was, when at two and a half years old he fell off a balcony onto his head. He, like Nick, was saved as a result of the expert treatment he received.
Together with Nick’s family, who are organising various events to raise support and awareness, we are aiming to raise £200,000 for The Fletcher Fellowship which will be managed by the Atkinson Morley Neurosciences Research Foundation and will fund invaluable research into the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions and continue to provide the amazing care that helped with Nick's miraculous recovery.
WHAT IS THE MARATHON DES SABLES?
The Marathon des Sables is a 6 day, 251 kms (156 miles) ultra-marathon run through the Sahara Desert. It is considered to be the toughest foot race on earth, thanks in part to the oppressive landscape and temperatures that reach 50 degrees.
The race route, and distance varies slightly each year and it is split into stages, with the longest stage usually exceeding 80km (in 2009 it was 91km).
Each contestant is required to carry a minimum amount of emergency equipment, as well as all their food, supplies, clothing and sleeping gear for the duration of the race.
Due to the extreme nature of the race, members of our team are training by competing in ironman triathlons, marathons and culminating in a 40 mile ultra-marathon in the Brecon Beacons in mid-December.
MARATHON DES SABLES 2014 – OUR MOTIVES
In March 2013, our friend, Nick Fletcher was moving into his new flat in Wandsworth when he was struck by a falling telegraph pole. He was rushed to hospital, and was eventually admitted to the Atkinson Morley Neurology Wing of St George’s Hospital in Tooting.
Due to the vast weight of the large wooden pole that had fallen on him, he sustained a number of skull fractures and a traumatic brain injury, which left him in a coma for over three weeks. However thanks to the superb care he received, Nick was finally brought out of his coma and started on the slow road to recovery.
Before long however, he was on his feet, walking the ward and terrorising the nurses and soon became known as the "Miracle Man". Whilst Nick was an incredibly fit and active young man, it is without a doubt that a large part of his success in recovery is due to the excellence of the care he received on the Atkinson Morley wing.
Furthermore, Kieren, one of the team taking on the Marathon des Sables challenge has also been the lucky recipient of care from the Atkinson Morley Hospital, as it then was, when at two and a half years old he fell off a balcony onto his head. He, like Nick, was saved as a result of the expert treatment he received.
Together with Nick’s family, who are organising various events to raise support and awareness, we are aiming to raise £200,000 for The Fletcher Fellowship which will be managed by the Atkinson Morley Neurosciences Research Foundation and will fund invaluable research into the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions and continue to provide the amazing care that helped with Nick's miraculous recovery.