Meet Jimmy and Rian, our March spotlighted fundraisers!
Monday, March 4th, 2024
UPDATE: THEY DID IT!!!!
Jimmy and Rian are absolute stars! They smashed the course in just over five hours and Jimmy put this amazing video together, which brings home the emotion and the intensity of the event really effectively.
“The buzz was something else,” said Jimmy. “I’ve run two marathons before solo but I can’t believe how other runners cheered us on and the crowd was something else.”
“It was a pleasure raising money for you guys. Here’s a photo of us crossing the finish line. Look at the smile on Rian’s face – heartwarming.”
They’ve raised over £1000, and you can still donate here on Jimmy’s JustGiving page.
Hey there Jimmy! Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Jimmy Daly, I am 61 years old and I am my son’s carer. I retired early to look after my son Rian, who is 20 and will be 21 in June. Rian suffers from epilepsy, cerebral palsy, he has quadriplegia on his right side and only has the use of his left arm/hand. He has incontinence and is in pads 24hrs a day, he also has severe learning difficulties and bad speech. Rian cannot move about by himself and he needs a powered wheelchair to get about.
It’s so lovely to meet you both! Could you tell us a bit about the event you’re taking part in?
We are taking on the Manchester Marathon on the 14 April 2024. In this marathon, I will be pushing my son Rian for 26.2 miles or 42.1km, in a wheelchair made for him. This will be the first time I will be pushing my son in a marathon. I have completed two other marathons, both as a solo runner.
Wow! That sounds like a huge challenge! Thank you so much for wanting to take it on. How did you hear about SpecialEffect and why have you chosen to fundraise for us?
Several years ago I was online, looking for ideas to try and help my son play games. I was finding this very hard and it all went a little over my head. Then I came across SpecialEffect’s website and videos. I watched their videos on YouTube and decided to email them. After several emails, we had a zoom meeting where we discussed what games Rian likes to play, what problems he had and what his needs were.
We’re so glad we were able to offer some help with getting Rian gaming! How’s your training going so far? Have there been any challenges to overcome?
My training was going well until I got a chest infection which has set me back a couple of weeks. Both my son and I have been taking part in a parkrun every Saturday which is 5km or 3.1miles. At times, when Rian isn’t up to training, I have asked someone to take his place. If no one can, I use three bags of pea stone gravel, about 70kg in weight. The longest run I have done is 18 miles on a hilly route. It’s a lot harder than I was expecting! When I got to 10 miles I could feel every little upward hill, but I pushed through. At the moment, my training is all about building my strength and stamina, not focussing on my speed/time. Each Sunday my endurance runs will increase by 2 miles a week until I hit 22 miles.
It sounds like you’re doing a fantastic job so far! What are your top tips for taking part in a charity event?
Find a charity that means something to you, that way it keeps you motivated. Pick an event that you know you’ll enjoy and know you can complete. Try and get a few friends to help or join in the event.
Brilliant! Where can people find your fundraising page for your event?
Jimmy’s JustGiving page is here!
Before we sign off, do you have any other final comments?
Thank you for reading this. Please share and if you can please donate, or better still do both! If you donate, please say good luck to my son Rian. I tell him every donation that is made and I read all the comments to him. I know it will make his day to hear people saying his name. Again, thank you!