Banchory 100 Ultra Marathon for Brain Injury Rehab
Saturday 1st June 2024
Banchory 100 Ultra Marathon for Brain Injury Rehab
Why are we doing this run? To raise money for charities and organisations who support people who have suffered brain injuries. Nearly 1 in 3 people will suffer a brain injury in their lives, and the recovery and rehabilitation services available are limited and underfunded.
The story. In October 2022, Martin was on holiday in Australia with his wife, Morag, and their 3 young children. In the middle of the holiday, Morag became rapidly unwell and, by the evening, had been rushed to hospital. She had severe swelling on the brain and the pressure inside her skull was life threatening. She underwent an emergency craniectomy to remove a large part of her skull, which relieved the pressure. This surgery saved her life, but by that point, her brain had already suffered a major injury.
When Morag woke up, she couldn't talk, and her right arm and leg wouldn't move. Over the next 6 weeks, she received incredible care from the team at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and, on the 1st of December, was well enough to be medically transferred back home to Aberdeen. The team in Brisbane had helped Morag regain some movement in her arm and leg, and some of her speech. She spent a further 2 and a half months in hospital in Aberdeen, in ARI, and then the Neuro Rehab Unit at Woodend Hospital. The teams there helped Morag progress her rehabilitation even further and, on the 22nd of February, exactly 4 months after going into hospital, she was discharged and allowed to return home.
Morag continued to receive outpatient rehab support from both NRU, and Horizons Rehabilitation Centre, which allowed her to get back to her life.
Without the care and support of the teams in Brisbane and Aberdeen, Morag wouldn't be where she is now.
The run. Having seen the difference this care made to Morag, Martin wanted to do something to raise funds, and to say thank you. Having previously run a few half marathons, Martin wanted to push himself further, and undertake a challenge that was both personal, and which could be used as a fundraising platform.
John had undertaken a number of charity running challenges so, one evening, at the top of Scolty Hill in Banchory, and with the idea generating power of a couple of cans of beer, Martin and John started discussing the challenge. After considering taking part in an existing ultramarathon event, or running from Edinburgh (Morag's home city) to Aberdeen, they took in the stunning, panoramic view of the hills around them and the question was asked "Could we run them all?"
Some guesstimation from John put the route at around 100km - a hard, but achievable distance - and from there, the brainstorming began, and the run was planned.
We intend to run from Banchory, up Hill o Fare, through Torphins and Potarch and onwards to the top of Clachnaben, the highest, and half way point of the route. From there, up Kerloch, down through Strachan and on to Hill of Gauch, before the final ascent to the top of Scolty, where the whole idea was formed. After taking it the view of all the hills run that day, the team will run down to finish in KGV Park.
£11,660.00
+£2,117.93 Gift Aid
raised of £10,000 target
by 374 supporters
