Thanks so much for visiting my page!

 Well I‘m excited to say that I’ve managed to secure a place in the Marathon Des Sables 2017! In April, I’ll be arriving in the sweltering Sahara desert to complete this punishing ultra-marathon, whilst raising vital money and awareness for Spinal Cord Injury cure research charity, Walkoncemore. This will be a punishing event, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge and hoping that you’ll all get behind me as I prepare for it!

As a six-day, 254 km (156 mile) ultra-marathon, and the equivalent to six regular marathons, I will cross numerous terrains, sand dunes, salt flats, mountains and rock. Just to make things that little bit (!) more taxing, I will be traversing the course with my entire kit on my back, containing all of my food, cooking equipment, my sleeping bag, clothes, venom pump, flare, and every other essential supply required to survive this self sufficient race. I think it's safe to say that the MdS really might be the toughest footrace on Earth!

In the lead up to this event, I will compete in a series of marathons and ultra events such as Iron Man and cover thousands of kilometres in training in order to prepare my body for the pain and suffering I will endure in temperatures well above 50 degrees.

All of this combined still doesn’t compare to how tough daily life is for millions of people around the World after falling victim to a spinal cord injury (SCI), however. With each unforgiving mile of the course, I am aiming to raise as much money and awareness as possible towards a cure for this debilitating condition.

In an instant, a paralysing SCI robs the victim and their loved ones of so much. As things stand, once a person suffers damage to their spinal cord, it is almost always permanent and the individual is usually left having to live with severe disability through paralysis. The research that Walkoncemore supports will make this a thing of the past before long. New and old injuries will become temporary, allowing the person affected to regain full mobility. Funds raised will go only to the brightest minds in the field who are working tirelessly to make this happen as soon as possible.

Any one of us can be affected at any time by this catastrophic injury, so you could say that the work of the charity is a bit of an insurance policy for us all. With that in mind, please dig deep! Every little bit really does help, and will propel me round this difficult course. I am looking to raise a minimum of £7,000, but I may even exceed this with your kindness and generosity!

I really appreciate your support, thanks a million everyone!

Gary Howells