I often get asked why I am doing this, why I am putting myself through these challenges or why I chose to support Make-A-Wish UK. So, I thought I would put something in my blog that hopefully goes some way to answering those questions.
What is Miles for Wishes?
Miles for Wishes is a series of 12 challenges over the course of 2017, where I will trek, run, swim and cycle over 1,200 miles all culminating on New Year’s day at Lands’ End, having cycled from John O’Groats. The challenges include two half’s and a full marathon, walking the Thames Path, a solo Three Peaks trek and cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
They are personal challenges, activities that I’ve never done before and will stretch and test me – I ran a half marathon in 2007 at Silverstone, but otherwise everything else is new. As of today, I’ve completed 1 of the 12 challenges, where I ran the Wokingham Half Marathon, completing a time of 2:01:27.
My aim is to raise a minimum of £5,000 for Make-A-Wish – £5 for every challenge mile travelled. All of the challenges, equipment and training is self-funded to ensure that every penny raised goes straight to Make-A-Wish so they can grant magical wishes to children and young people with life threatening conditions.
Why are you supporting Make-A-Wish?
There are thousands of Charities in the UK alone that do some truly amazing things to change lives now and for future generations – finding cures for cancers, providing support for a range of medical, physical and mental conditions or providing food and shelter for those who so desperately need it – so picking just one cause to support can often be a hard, particularly if you haven’t been directly affected by something.
Naturally friends and colleagues ask me why I have chosen to support Make-A-Wish UK. There is no easy answer to that question – it’s a combination of things, based on my own moral values;
- I believe in fairness – what I mean by that is we all have a responsibility to act as a decent human beings, to act towards a greater, common good. So for me fairness is about giving something back to those with the greatest need,
- For children and young people, life shouldn’t be anything but magical – life threatening conditions can strip the normalcy from a whole family’s life. Granting a wish can restore that innocence and childish wonder, but more than that it gives back control and the power to fight,
- Make-A-Wish and the wishes its grants wouldn’t be possible without the all those people who work for Make-A-Wish and for me it goes to proves that as long as you have a group of dedicated and committed people supporting you, then anything is possible – they literally make dreams come true,
- Through the generosity of its supporters, Make-A-Wish is able to grant the wishes of children and young people who are fighting life threatening conditions. These wishes can genuinely transform lives, not just on the day of the wish but for years after. Read the many stories they share or watch one of their videos on YouTube and you will see why I am supporting Make-A-Wish – the reactions of those children and young people as well as their parents is all I need to see to inspire me,
- The chance to give someone the opportunity to forget the fight, forget the pain and live a better day – who wouldn’t take that chance?
Have you done anything like this before?
I’m not an athlete, let alone an elite one – as I’ve already said I ran a half marathon 10 years ago but nothing more than that. Some of the challenges are things I’ve always thought about doing, but never had the impetus or opportunity to do until now.
I don’t have a compelling story to tell, no burning reason to put myself through this – I am a father however, and I want a better world for my two children and for me that means being the change I want to see in this world – I want to do something that matters, something better, something that makes a difference, something that has the power to literally change lives. This is very much the start of a journey for me and Make-A-Wish’s own humble beginnings prove that where you have a group of committed individuals working towards a common goal, then dreams really can come true.
How can someone get involved?
Make-A-Wish can’t make these life-changing experiences happen without your generosity, as such any and all donations to the Miles for Wishes challenge will be gratefully received and acknowledged.
You can donate through my Just Giving page – www.justgiving.com/fundraising/milesforwishes
You can also follow my progress through my blog or social media sites;
- Blog – www.milesforwishes.com
- Instagram @milesforwishes
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/milesforwishes
If you think you can help in any other way – whether that be sponsorship, proposing a challenge or something else – please do get in touch.
Guy Stapleford Ultra 