#joiningjack

I’ve always enjoyed cycling; it’s been a big part of my life for the past 4 years as I’ve gone from a novice on a £200 Viking ‘bicycle shaped object’ through to completing ‘Chase the Sun‘ last year on a new carbon steed.  Running, on the other hand, has been something of a personal challenge.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, but that my enjoyment has historically only lasted for a few minutes…

Sunday 7th September will see the the 2014 edition of the Wigan 10k and after last years inaugural event it promises to be an bigger and better event this time round. 

This is a fantastic event and Wiganers sure know how to come together for a good cause. I'll be taking part in the race to raise money for Joining Jack.

After unfortunately being unable to enter last years race I'm very much looking forward to running the Wigan 10k(6.2 Miles) alongside more than 3000 other runners in my home town across a route I know very well.  

My race number and timing chip has arrived in the post.

I have been an avid runner for several years but it was only two years ago when I moved back to Wigan after graduating from university that I started to run from my house in Shevington to town, beyond and back on a regular basis. I just love the freedom and escapism you can get from running and what is brilliant about Wigan is that no matter which direction you turn, there is always enough space to run, one great example is the Leeds- Liverpool Canal in which you an get from the more rural areas of the area to the town centre via Wigan Pier and the stadium in no time. 

This will be my second charity run of the year with my previous one being the 11.2 Mile route of the Rainbow Ramble which took place in April in the rural Lancashire countryside and included  locations such as Croston, Heskin, Mawdesley and Wrightington.

After running the 11.2 mile Rainbow Ramble in April.

 I managed to run the Rainbow Ramble in around 1 hour and 20 minutes(3rd out of the 11.2 mile group) , this isn't too bad seeing my aim was just to complete the 11.2 mile course, however despite the Wigan 10k being a shorter route there are areas I have been trying to improve and build on in the months since my last race, I have had decent practice times in recent weeks however it is important to consider that the Wigan 10k will be busy which may add a few minutes to everybodies finishing times, the upside to this though is that I cannot think of any better feeling than running through my home town with thousands of other people, starting off from Market Street heading onto Parsons Walk and then around the DW Stadium and up through the Mesnes Park and then crossing the finishing line back on Market Street, it is going to be a wonderful feeling and the atmosphere is going to be electric in Wigan on Sunday, I may even treat myself to a pie and a pint after the run.

Joining Jack's aim is to raise money to fund research to find an effective set of treatments to combat the condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). To donate simply click on the link below.

JustGiving sends your donation straight to JOINING JACK and automatically reclaims Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer, so your donation is worth even more. Thank you for your support!

Come one, come all, to the EMS Sigma Charity Ball!

All proceeds from the Ball will go to Joining Jack as part of our on-going fundraising for them! For more information, either message us on here or call us on 01925 837 111 - Cheers!

We've had 25 donations totalling £515 pound for Joining Jack Thank you very much to everyone who has contributed so far!

We still need to raise a lot more in order to make a difference.

Joining Jack’s mission is to relieve the needs of sufferers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by funding research into methods of treatment and cure of the condition as there is currently very little awareness of DMD, and research into finding possible treatments is drastically underfunded.

Andrew + Alex Johnson's son, Jack, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in November 2011. Since Jack’s diagnosis, they have cried every day and have spent endless hours scouring the internet to find answers.

At the moment Jack’s condition will follow a predetermined path; He will gradually become weaker until he can no longer walk, probably by the time he reaches adolescence. By the time he is nine he will be relying on the use of a wheelchair for significant parts of the day. As the condition progresses he will lose the use of his other muscles, he will require ventilation, assistance with feeding himself, and he will become a paraplegic. The average life expectancy of Jack, and other boys with DMD, is 25 years. There are a few exceptions of people who have lived longer, and many who have not reached this age.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is one of the most common fatal genetic disorders to affect children around the world. Approximately one in every 3,500 boys worldwide is afflicted with DMD, with 20,000 new cases reported each year in the developed world.

Please visit our JustGiving page, and share with your friends and family, to help us make a difference: www.justgiving.com/joiningjackems

We've had our first message off Roy since he landed in Tanzania, sounds like he's having an amazing time already!

"OK, I have settled into African culture, met rest of group today - a mix of Germans Canadians and Scots, seem like a good bunch. A few of us walked in to Moshi earlier today. Very humble place and a lot of poverty apparent. Spent most of my time walking around the markets. Tanzanians are really friendly and the weather today reached 42c! We have just had briefing off our 'Chief Experience Officer' - there were a few daunted faces when he finished; it's not going to be easy! I will be fine, I'm sure. I've just packed my rucksack and I'm ready to go. I will be down off mountain next Tuesday so will update then. Thanks everyone for your kind words and support!

We now have Roy's victory pictures from his Snowdon climb last month! The weather was fairly dismal but everyone kept in good spirits during the 3,560 ft climb, even Bryn the dog managed to keep his tail wagging! It was a fabulous day with wonderful people, and it brought home how challenging Kilimanjaro will be this month!

Roy had to compose himself somewhat before being ready for pictures but soon found his smile:

Not satisfied with having climbed one of the tallest Mountains in Britain, Roy decided to challenge himself with Hell Up North 2012 in Delamere Forest at the weekend!

The Brooks HellRunner is over multi-terrain, with varying underfoot conditions - mainly mud! There were running tracks and trails, water-filled areas and plenty of steep hills - Roy got incredibly wet and muddy! Starting at 10:00 on Saturday 3rd Nov, The Brooks HellRunner was nature at its toughest and was approximately 12 miles long.

Roy completed Hellrunner in 2 hours, coming 300th out of 3000 - well done, Roy! Craig Connor, Roy's personal trainer, also took part and finished in the top 20!

As expected, Roy is a bit knackered but will be continuing his training for the big Kilimanjaro climb on Monday 12th November.

All this effort is being put towards fundraising for JoiningJack and it will all be for nothing if he can't raise the funds that the charity deserve. To help Roy and support his cause, please visit his JustGiving page to donate!

Thank you.

Whilst Roy is incredibly busy training for his upcoming Kilimanjaro climb, we've been busy thinking of ways to help raise further funds for Joining Jack!

Well, we have quite a few things in the pipeline now; The Royal Marines will hopefully be doing an abseiling challenge for us in the new year, we will be joining forces with Outdoor Trip on February 16th 2013 to attempt a World Record, one of our team will be doing the London to Paris bike ride in May 2013 (see his story here: Martin's JJ Page), and plans are well under way for our glamourous Ball on 10th May 2013 @ The Crown Plaza in Liverpool!

Please help us raise as many funds as possible, and support Roy in his Kilimanjaro climb, by visiting our JustGiving page.