Nick - Living Life with MND....

Keep a fire burning in your eyes
Pay attention to the open skies
You never know what will be coming down

from For a Dancer by Jackson Browne
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Great news - in just over a year we have reached our £50,000 target

The support for Suffolk to Sennen, other challenges and evenings, has made this all possible. Your donations really do make a difference for those living with MND now and finding treatments and a cure.

Double, but no quit - We are doubling our target to £100,000...

2025 continues to roll on apace...

With the excitement and success of Suffolk to Sennen, accompanied by your amazing support in 2024, I was keen to keep active, ride my trike and continue to fund raise in support of MND.

The MND road continues to rise up in front of me. There are many activities at which I was fairly adept but I am now completely inept - but they're gone, so I focus on what I can do, and I don't look back or reflect on what I can't.

As I now wobble along on my orthotic-assisted legs, I use 'Mustang Sally', my electric buggy, which allows me to be part of walks, near and far, and to move around locally. Upper body fasciculations, arm and hand cramps are here but not yet impacting my daily life.

2025 has been a very busy and active year as we continue to keep up with our plan to do something every month.

In May, Jill and I had the privilege of representing the MND community by attending, speaking and giving our thoughts at one of the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation's bi-annual Scientific Advisory meetings. It was encouraging to hear of the positive achievements being made to speed up diagnosis, understand the disease and find possible treatments. There is still a long way to go...

June saw the return of my local Evening Cycle with over 100 riders, plus another 30 social supporters, joining a 15 mile cycle around local lanes, followed by a terrific supper back at The Ufford Crown, raising just over £3,000.

In mid-June, Jill and I excitedly travelled to Wicklow with my E-assist trike to join the Doddie'5 Lions Challenge 2025 for the last day of their 555 mile cycle around Ireland, delivering the rugby ball for the British and Irish Lions v Argentina game in Dublin. What an inspirational couple of days it was! I joined a tired but enthusiastic peloton - which included some of Doddie'5 former rugby friends, Kenny Logan, Ally McCoist, Cathy and Hamish Weir - for a beautiful last day's ride which was a hilly 55 miles through the Wicklow mountains and into Dublin. Albeit slowly, and with the occasional push on some of the climbs, me and the Trike made it, topping 30mph on some tremendous descents into Dublin, culminating in a great evening at the game and craic in the bars of Dublin afterwards. What an opportunity and event it was to be part of and a privilege to represent those living with MND.

July was busy! Jill and I were delighted to return to a much loved haunt on Lake Maggiore, where we'd had many enjoyable family holidays. We had concerns about whether it would be the same with my current limitations. It wasn't but it was superb - beautiful, relaxing and sociable. A very memorable week.

August gave us a superb holiday in the beautiful South of France with our lovely family and wonderful little grandson, making special memories together. This was followed swiftly by a week in North Norfolk with my brother and sister-in-law, enjoying all it has to offer. Mustang Sally tackled the coast paths well, along with RSPB Titchwell.

'Mustang Sally', and hired mobility scooters, have enabled me to continue to be part of so many fun activities with family and friends. Just one fall, many memories of special times with my beautiful and supportive Jill, fabulous family and friends - summers don't get much better.

Our October Bingo & Band was a tremendous evening
In November, The Ufford Crown is once again hosting a festive Christmas Fair and in early December I will be joining Kevin Sinfield for 'The Extra mile' at the start of his 7 in 7 marathon Challenge

The consultant who bluntly advised me, 'You have MND' and then suggested that I 'Do more...' would hopefully be pleased!

We are supporting:

• MND Association - to assist their work supporting and caring for MND sufferers, as well as invaluable research and future treatments
• My Name’5 Doddie Foundation - committed to helping improve the lives of individuals and families affected by MND, funding research to find a cure
. Challenging MND - who offer MND sufferers the opportunity to create amazing memories with their family and friends which will last for ever

If you would like to support me, Jill and our family to enable us to live the best and fullest life possible, which requires specialist equipment and alterations to our home, then please use this link to our Go Fund Me page: https://gofund.me/3d9bb09ae.