Monday 29 February 2016

The Eleventh Hour





It seems I’ve made a mistake. The chance to vote for #MYWBpledge did not finish at midnight last night, it finishes at midnight TONIGHT!

This is my last chance to encourage you to vote for me…

In the 70s I used my legs to bounce on my space hopper. In the 80s I used my legs to ride my Burner BMX. In the 90s I remember running across a road in West Yorkshire to get to the hospital to be part of the birth of my first born; Lucie. In the 00s I used my legs to walk down the aisle to marry the most beautiful woman I ever did meet.

Now, what does the future hold for my legs? I really don’t know.

I do know this; I intend to fill 2016 with fantastic memories for my girls. The whole point of me entering this competition is for my girls to see what can be achieved regardless of what some might say is difficult and challenging circumstances. Also, I hope that what we are doing now will help somebody with my condition in a few years’ time. I hope that others don’t fall like I do, don’t feel weak like I do and don’t feel constantly exhausted like I do. I hope that many more people will be able to do all of what I’ve mentioned above because we’re raising awareness and funds right now.

I’m not a natural at what I do, every time I have gone onto a radio station I have nearly been sick, every time I’ve stood up in front of all my colleagues or any audience I have panicked so much my heart feels like it will pop out of my chest, it really doesn’t sit well with me to talk about this condition but it has to be done, otherwise nobody would ever know.

Since I started raising awareness I have kept a scrapbook, a portfolio of memories for Lucie, Olivia and Skye to look back on. It contains every blog, every newspaper article, photos, certificates and acknowledgements of our achievements. This is my legacy to them; this is how I’m trying to be the best Daddy I can be.

A saying I’ve heard often and stuck by myself is that if you do not like something in life then change it, if you cannot change it then change your attitude towards it, so that’s what I do. I cannot take any medicine, there is no prescription for me but what I do have is my family, friends and my challenges to keep me on my feet.

I’ve seen other parents score strikes when bowling to rapturous applause and joyous laughter “That was my Daddy’s strike”, I’ve seen other parents win a race at a school sports day “That was my Daddy that won that” as they lean to my youngest daughters ear and this is also something I cannot do, I can, however walk and so that’s what we’ll do. We will walk one mile-a-month to iconic sporting arenas and events in 2016 which is an Olympic year and also 50 years since England won the World Cup. Then my girls can say “That was my Daddy that walked that!”


I’m a very lucky man, everyone I have asked to help me in 2016 has been extremely accommodating with an ‘open arms’ attitude for which I am very grateful. This started in autumn of 2015 when I asked actor, Ralph Ineson to help with my very own short film to promote my intentions for 2016, he replied “It would be an honour to get involved” and this, with the help of friends, Paul Adams and Steve Richmond, is how we made this short film.



So far we have raised 36 hours of research in the first two months of this year and we’ve already made some fantastic memories and you can see them here.



So you see this competition is imperative, it is an opportunity to take my Orange t-shirt on tour for all to see, so people can raise questions about the condition of which I can answer and to raise funds to treat others in the future.

This is not a vanity project; it’s not about me at all really. A very big reason is for this one picture right here, the people in it, our year ahead and the memories we’re going to make





This is a life changing opportunity to make my world bigger with The Discovery Channel UK and you can come with us too!

So, for the very last time of asking…

1. Vote for "Martin from Buckinghamshire"

2. Vote for two other people.

3. Fill out Name, email and phone number.

4. Hit "Submit"

5. When you receive a "Thank You!" you have successfully voted

http://www.discoveryuk.com/pledges/vote-now-2/

Thank you to everyone that has voted, shared, hit RT and encouraged others to vote for me, I’ll probably never be able to thank you all enough but you must know it’s appreciated from the bottom of my heart.

#MoveAMileForMuscles

#IfICanYouCanToo

2 comments:

  1. Inspirational blog post Martin, well written and above all human. I would really like to wish you the best on the votes & I would like to publish your story in a future publication I am currently working on. Speak soon. Gems

    ReplyDelete
  2. Inspirational blog post Martin, well written and above all human. I would really like to wish you the best on the votes & I would like to publish your story in a future publication I am currently working on. Speak soon. Gems

    ReplyDelete