For the next 4 months I will be adding to our family blog my next journey which will have it's finale on April 17th 2011... LONDON MARATHON here I come!
I have the amazing opportunity to run in the London Marathon and raise money for a charity near and dear to my heart - The National Autisic Society. My sister, Amanda, was diagnosed over 17 years ago at three years old. I was 16 when Amanda was diaganosed. I remember going through many of the ups and downs of this disease with Amanda and my family. Through the years I have seen the statisics rise;1 in 166 children will be diagnosed with Autism this year.
When Amanda reached her teens she found running. We all saw that this gave her a new confidence in herself as well as an outlet from some of the difficult social symptoms of Autism. Running did not come easy for Amanda but she did not give up. She received awards for being the most dedicated, improved as well as determined. Running, gave Amanda an outlet, it seriously helped define and change Amanda's life. Being able to raise money for Autism by running is bliss for me. I can give back and hopefully help others who have been down the same road we have or will go down the same road. There is so much that still needs to be done to help determine first of all where Autism is coming from and secondly support for famiies dealing with this. My sister is now 20 and I also see a huge need for more support as these chiildren turn into adults and need to be able to thrive in society.
We are all so proud of Amanda and all she has accomplished. None of it was easy for her but I know some of her fondest memories are of running with friends in high school. Amanda has also ran half marathons and The Iron Girl in Phoenix, Arizona where she was in the top of her age group. I feel privileged for being able to take part in such an amazing event; it holds the Guinness world record as the largest annual fund raising event in the world, with the 2009 participants raising over £47.2 million for charity. There will be 30,000+ runners and draws crowds of half a million on the streets. With over 125,000 entries in the lottery I am beyond thankful that I was given a spot!
Check out my running page and donation page!
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MichelleKennett
2 comments:
26.2 for your beautiful sister Amanda and a cause close to heart for so many. I know it’s close to ours. I worked with the most amazing family for a few years whose son was autistic and just wrote a freelance article for an organization called A Special Connection about Autism. I’m happy to contribute to such an amazing feat (no pun intended) you’ll undergo on April 17th. Welcome home.
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