It All Starts Here.....

Six months ago I entered the public ballot for the London Marathon 2013. Since running in 2010, I always had at the back of my mind that I wanted to do it once more before I was 40 and it felt like the time was right to have another go. No. I had it set in my mind that I would, no matter what. I wrote to SANDS, the charity I ran for in 2010, and asked if they could guarantee me a place should I be unsuccessful in the public, that way, “knowing” I would be running meant  I could start raising money for them right a way and maximise the opportunity. Unfortunately they have a strict process for the Golden Bond places so I would have to wait and see. Over the summer I raised money for SANDS editing VHS footage onto DVD and digital formats and some of the jobs I did were generically “For Charity”. Then in early October I got the rejection pack from Virgin. I immediately went to SANDS, detailed events and filled in their application form. Unsuccessfully. They had over 50 applicants for just 5 places. But like I said earlier, it was set, in my mind that I was going to do this and I went to my second choice charity, I-Can, a charity that helps children of all ages with learning difficulties to communicate. It was a very simple process and I had the response pretty much straightaway, but being wary of all things technological, I rang their fundraising manager in order to get it confirmed by a human.

All this, in a week where I go from Helicopter ground staff, to unemployed, to Fixed wing airline employee! It was a strange surreal sensation  and with the excitement fresh, I also felt a little dazed.

Now I just need to convert the determination I had to get into the marathon, into determination to finish it……..