BackCare

Meet our marathon runners

18 Mar 2010

Read about the runners who are taking part this year

Meet the runners who are taking part in this year's 42.195 kilometres run through one of the world’s best cities. Our runners will make their way from the start in Greenwich Park via landmarks such as London Bridge, Canary Wharf and Big Ben to the finish in front of Buckingham Palace.

My name is Martyn Evans, I live in Hawarden, North Wales and this is my first marathon. 
I am 50 years old this year and this was one of the things I wished to do before I got to that age. I have played hockey for about 35 years so thought it was time to do something on my own. I have completed a couple of half marathons over the last two years but this is a big step up.
 
I picked BackCare as my charity as my brother-in-law suffers very badly with one, and the fact that I work for the Welsh Ambulance Service, (not on the frontline but as  a Regional Finance Manager), back injuries can be suffered by staff, losing us vital resources but thankfully more so in the past. Like other organisations we are all becoming more aware of lifting and handling and using the correct techniques and equipment to avoid the crippling pain that can be suffered.

Simon Delany, I live in Brockley, South East London.
I’m running for BackCare as in February 2009 I suffered a herniated disc which left me fairly incapacitated for several weeks. Not knowing much about back injuries, I thought that I had some severe back pain and would quickly recover after a couple of weeks lying on the floor, but this actually wasn't the case and the injury was a lot more severe than I, or my local GP realised. Unbeknownst to me the slipped disc was causing massive nerve damage and was a couple of weeks away from causing paralysis of one of my feet. I wound up in hospital having emergency surgery to remove part of the disc and stop my nerves deteriorating any further at the beginning of April 2009. Fortunately I made a good recovery and am able to train for the marathon, but it made me want to make sure that other people don’t get into the same situation by raising awareness of back problems.

My name is Zak Saurin and I live in Wimbledon. 
I am running the London Marathon for BackCare as it seemed appropriate seeing as one of the reasons I took up running was to get regular exercise to help a nagging shoulder complaint that many sessions with various specialists failed to address.

Chris Hipsey
I am running the marathon and raising money for BackCare, as my dad has been in Hospital since the end of last year having been diagnosed with Discitus, which has caused three of his vertebrae to collapse.  He is currently receiving treatment for this, however it is likely he is going to need an operation to repair his spine.   Also, obviously I don't need to tell you the statistic for back pain in adults, but I come across clients with back pain a lot and therefore anything I can do to help fund research and prevention of this issue, and personally learn more about it of benefit to all of my clients.

My name is Andy Purvis age 46 and living in Larkfield, Kent.
I am running for BackCare UK because my partner Karen suffered with a bad back for many years and I know how debilitating and painful it was. Luckily after many years she saw a fantastic consultant called Mr Bassi a surgeon at Kings College Hospital who operated on her and transformed her life. As a businessman I also appreciate how many days are lost due to bad backs and the misery it causes.

I’m Martin Davies from St Albans.
I’m running for Backcare for two reasons – one; I suffer from a bad back myself after years of playing squash and two, because I work in IT, I spend too much time basically doing things that our backs were simply not designed for.

Paul Bryenton
Over the last 8 years I have struggled with a back problem myself. My Dad currently has a back problem and is awaiting an operation and a few friends also suffered with back problems, this is why I have chosen to do the 2010 Virgin London Marathon to raise money for BackCare. My own back problem became worse in 2004 but I struggled with the pain for the next few years before seeking medical help and advice. Realisation came to me whilst playing golf with a very good friend of mine, while I struggled round the golf course, he turned round and said “Paul, do you have to walk like that?” which was very funny at the time, but all the laughter also hurt my back. At this stage I decided enough was enough, I had put up with the pain and the sick days long enough and it was about time I did something to get myself better again. So after numerous appointments at the doctors I eventually had an MRI scan which revealed that I had a burst lower disc. On 4th July 2008 I was booked into the local NHS hospital for an operation known as a Microdiscectomy, this is a surgical procedure in which the central portion of an intervertebral disc, the nucleus pulposus which is causing the pain by stressing the spinal cord or radiating nerves, is removed.  

The recovery period was 8 weeks and I did exactly as the NHS said, small amounts of physio and lots of rest. Needless to say the operation was a great success and it made me really appreciate things that we take for granted like walking, running all those things we don’t even think about, until we can’t do them anymore.

The London Marathon is something I have watched and admired over the years. Every year I have watched some 36000 runners set off around London on that April Sunday morning and where am I, either sitting on my sofa after a heavy Saturday night or sometimes on a certain boat in London drinking with friends as the runners come past. Of course every year after several pints we would say the same old line “next year lads lets do the London Marathon”……well guys I am!

Stuart PercivaI
I work in Madrid. I have run a few marathons before, including Madrid, Barcelona, Dublin and NY, but never for charity, and I thought it was about time to put my legs to good use.

 I chose BackCare to run for, as I think that back pain is one of those illnesses which has thousands of "silent sufferers" throughout the world, and because I think that, in an office environment, it is something from which many of my colleagues and clients might suffer. I have seen friends just lying on their backs in the office to ease pain. Many years ago, my own father was also incapacitated for weeks on end by serious back pain, which, through correct treatment, now, at 84 years old, no longer bothers him. He still does the exercises, though!

Stuart Kramer
As an Osteopath, I am committed to lessening the impact of backpain on suffers. Backcare do such a great job in informing, educating and supporting back pain for all, that I am delighted to be raising funds for such a worthwhile cause.