“I am taking a breather from long distance triathlon in 2012...”
These were my words at the end of 2011 - well it is true I am taking a bit of a breather from IM length racing but I have signed up for the IM 70.3 in Galway again in September, Windsor in June and a 1.5km open water swim race in May – so still keeping active. I also said I would be taking a lower key approach to fund raising this year, and that was the plan, however back in February, during a 24 hour turbo fundraiser, I met Andrew Howden (another member of the BCTTT triathlon club) and he inspired me to try and raise a little cash for the charity that supports his daughter, Beatrice.
Beatrice has Type II SMA – Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This amongst other things means she will never walk, run or play in the same way other children do. She is bright and into everything, eager to explore the world around her and she is always happy and ready to greet everyone she meets with a big smile and a wave.
Unfortunately, Government funded departments do not offer funding for the powered chair that was designed specifically for what Beatrice needs to be mobile at this early age. The early years for Beatrice, as with all children, are very important in learning and development, therefore early access to mobility is imperative. One of the key attributes of children with SMA is that they are exceptionally intelligent. Limited mobility at an early age, however, can limit opportunities for learning and exploring the child’s environment.
So why am I telling you this? Well, every year since I got serious about triathlon I have tried to raised a little cash for good causes –in total this is now over £3200 (with GiftAid), and this year is no different. Despite the ecomonic downturn over the past couple of years I have still managed to raise close to a thousand pounds each year. Please help me to do the same this year.
I am not keen of sending money to an anonymous organisation who loose significant amounts in admin costs and don’t pass as much as they can onto those who need it most, but instead I prefer to find a charity which is small and needs support for the hard work they do. I am raising funds to support Beatrice and her family through the charity A Smile for a Child (Charity Registration No. 1123357).
Any amount large or small will help this small charity immensely so (if you can) please be generous! Please go to my just giving site (http://www.justgiving.com/DoingGalwayforTeamBea) and donate. You can also follow me on twitter @isainsbury.
Thank you in advance,
Go raibh míle maith agaibh arís! (as they apparently say in Ireland)
Best wishes,
Iain.
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