10,000 reasons………
On May the 7th I have signed up to race in the Preseli Beast. Why on earth would you do that and what is the ‘Beast’ anyway? I hear you cry!
Let’s deal with the why firstly. In August 2014, our locum consultant, Byron, very sadly passed away after a hard battle with cancer. Byron was an amazing man. His knowledge of financial services and gentle manner in explaining things was legendary. He was an inspiration to us all in financial services and he loved his family above all things.
Byron recruited me to Standard Life in 2000 and our friendship was ignited from the minute we sat down to eat a bowl of chips in the Swansea Marriot and talk about his second love – pensions! I believe that he made me the financial planner I am today through his guidance and patience.
There are tens of thousands of families affected every year through the brutal loss of a loved one to cancer. It is the most awful illness that I have seen take several of my most treasured clients and friends over the years. Yet scientists are punching through its walls of mystery – unlocking some of the secrets behind its defence. Part of the reason I love investing into health funds is to know that a little bit of investment is going to support the work in immunology which uses the bodies natural immune systems to turn on the lethal cancer cells and beat them back.
But I want to personally do more.
The only thing I could think of, to inspire my clients to perhaps help me, was to embark on something a bit heroic to raise some serious cash for Cancer Research UK.
Enter the Beast………
The Preseli Beast is a gruelling off road marathon in the heart of the Preseli mountains. The 24 mile route across bogs, streams, woodland and trails is a serious climber. The total assent is one and half times Snowdon! http://preselibeast.com/
I do love going for a short run but I find seven miles is about my comfortable limit. This challenge will certainly push me far beyond my normal distances and I am now training for the event, putting in some hard hours on the coastal path climbs to build my climbing muscles!
I wondered if you would consider helping me? I don’t believe in doing things by halves and so I have set myself a large target to raise for Cancer Research UK. I have built a ‘Just Giving’ account and Thomas and Thomas have very generously kicked things off with a £500 donation.
Please could you encourage me through giving as generously as you can to this worthy cause using this secure link https://www.justgiving.com/Darren-Lloyd-Thomas
In return I promise to crawl, limp and drag myself around this marathon, and photos shall be provided after the event! My humble thanks in anticipation of anything you might be able to give.
Darren
