cycling LEJOG for BHF, OK Foundation and Kit4Kenya
Donation protected
A year ago, at the age of 18, I was playing a leisurely game of golf on a half term break from school when I suffered a cardiac arrest. It turns out this was caused by a rare genetic condition that I was not aware I had, called Long QT Syndrome. I was only saved by a quick-thinking fellow golfer, a nurse walking her dog, and most crucially, a defibrillator from the club house. I am one of the lucky ones: less than one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and many that do are impaired for life. Those combined circumstances mean that a year on I am fine, but I will now live with an implantable defibrillator and will be on medication for life. As a keen sportsman, I had figured I was pretty fit, but unfortunately now I will never be able to play sport to the level I once aspired to.
Life changes, but it does not have to stop. In May, I will be cycling 900 miles from Lands End (most southerly part of mainland Britain) to John O'Groats (most northerly part of mainland Britain) in aid of three charities. The British Heart Foundation (https://www.bhf.org.uk) has a huge amount of sentimental value – I want to thank them for all that they do by raising money for their work discovering new ways of helping those with heart issues such as myself. By securing funds I also hope to contribute towards the donation of defibrillators to places that lack them; Whether I raise enough for just one, or fifty, as my story shows, one in the right place can mean the difference between life and death. I will be partnering with the Oliver King Foundation (https://theoliverkingfoundation.co.uk) whose aim is to ensure all schools across the UK are equipped with a defibrillator. They work closely with small communities and schools that cannot afford such devices, and so I feel that as one has saved me, it would only be right to allow others to have a better chance of survival with a defibrillator nearby. Depending on the amount I raise, I will be setting aside 40% of the funds to each of the two charities. If it gets to a stage where there is no longer enough money for another defibrillator to be purchased, excess amounts will go direct to the OK Foundation who will put it aside for the purchase of more defibrillators in the future.
Kit4Kenya (https://www.kit4kenya.com) is a charity that provides football kits and gear to disadvantaged children in Kenya, and I am also an ambassador for the organisation. We are lucky that we are partnered with some of the biggest clubs in world football, and these clubs provide us with some kit to share with young sportsmen and women in Kenya. The kit is donated free, but our last shipment to Kenya cost us over £4,500; I would like to channel 20% of the funds I raise to help towards the shipment of the kits, as without this primary process the charity is unable to deliver the freely donated kit to intended beneficiaries.
Thank you for any contributions you may give; donations both great and small are hugely appreciated. Please also hit your forward button to anyone with whom you think this may resonate.
Guy
Life changes, but it does not have to stop. In May, I will be cycling 900 miles from Lands End (most southerly part of mainland Britain) to John O'Groats (most northerly part of mainland Britain) in aid of three charities. The British Heart Foundation (https://www.bhf.org.uk) has a huge amount of sentimental value – I want to thank them for all that they do by raising money for their work discovering new ways of helping those with heart issues such as myself. By securing funds I also hope to contribute towards the donation of defibrillators to places that lack them; Whether I raise enough for just one, or fifty, as my story shows, one in the right place can mean the difference between life and death. I will be partnering with the Oliver King Foundation (https://theoliverkingfoundation.co.uk) whose aim is to ensure all schools across the UK are equipped with a defibrillator. They work closely with small communities and schools that cannot afford such devices, and so I feel that as one has saved me, it would only be right to allow others to have a better chance of survival with a defibrillator nearby. Depending on the amount I raise, I will be setting aside 40% of the funds to each of the two charities. If it gets to a stage where there is no longer enough money for another defibrillator to be purchased, excess amounts will go direct to the OK Foundation who will put it aside for the purchase of more defibrillators in the future.
Kit4Kenya (https://www.kit4kenya.com) is a charity that provides football kits and gear to disadvantaged children in Kenya, and I am also an ambassador for the organisation. We are lucky that we are partnered with some of the biggest clubs in world football, and these clubs provide us with some kit to share with young sportsmen and women in Kenya. The kit is donated free, but our last shipment to Kenya cost us over £4,500; I would like to channel 20% of the funds I raise to help towards the shipment of the kits, as without this primary process the charity is unable to deliver the freely donated kit to intended beneficiaries.
Thank you for any contributions you may give; donations both great and small are hugely appreciated. Please also hit your forward button to anyone with whom you think this may resonate.
Guy
Organizer
Guy Gowar
Organizer
England
