Nijmegen Vierdaagse - Asthma UK

Today is World Asthma Day and therefore the perfect moment to unveil my (not very momentous) plans.  I've decided to use the opportunity of taking part in the Nijmegen Vierdaagse to try and raise some money and awareness for asthma research, via the charity Asthma UK.

Some of you know, probably a lot of you don't, that I have asthma myself.  Most people won't have seen me use my inhaler, because I hate using it in public.  My colleagues may have seen me sneak out of a meeting for a quick break, but you probably wouldn't have known that that was the reason why.  Asthma does interfere with my life on a daily basis.  On a good day, it's nothing more than remembering to stop and take my medications, even though I may be running late for work, or exhausted after a long week and a Friday night choir practice.  On other days, I could spend the evening on the coach struggling to breath, and putting my running plans (and everything else) on hold.   And then, after a disrupted night's sleep, having to get up for work again in the morning.  

But on the scale of asthma, I'm one of the lucky ones.  A bad day means I'm struggling, but it doesn't put me in hospital.  Asthma might slow me down sometimes, but for others it can limit even the most basic physical activity.

And that's why I want to fundraise.  Not for the people like me, but for those who can't gain control over the condition with the medications currently available, and who battle constantly, not only the disease itself, but from the side effects of the drugs they need to take.  Deeper understanding of asthma could transform their lives.

So, anyone that wants to offer support, you can do it in the following ways:

• leave a comment on the post so I know you read it :-)
• ask me how the training's going, and I'll be glad to bore you about it!
• take a look at Amy Anaruk's compilation of peoples' stories at A record of breathlessness
• and best of all, donate something to the cause via my fundraising page