Anthony McGuinness only started running this year but managed to complete the Great North Run yesterday in two hours 35 minutes. Anthony, who lives in Redhouse in Sunderland, was delighted, not only to have achieved that time, despite incurring a knee injury in training, but to have raised £295 for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, a cause very close to his heart.
“I only found out about Children’s Liver Disease Foundation when my friend’s little boy Oliver, who is now seven, was diagnosed with portal hypertension,” explains Anthony, 33. “Having a child diagnosed with a rare liver condition is a shock to any family and unfortunately GP’s have little or no information to help them understand. It can be difficult to receive detailed information from specialists as they are so busy. And for this reason, the information and support provided by CLDF is invaluable. These families have nowhere else to turn.
“I’ve never been a runner before but when I joined a local running club in February and decided I would like to do the Great North Run for CLDF. Training was going well until June when I suffered a knee injury and had to take a month off running. So I’m really pleased to have finished ten minutes ahead of my target time. It was tough going but an amazing experience. And to date I’ve raised £295, although my final total will be matched by my employer, BGL Group so any further donations will be gratefully received!”
Alison Taylor, Chief Executive of Children’s Liver Disease Foundation commented: “CLDF is the only UK charity dedicated to fighting all childhood liver diseases, by providing information and emotional support, funds for research and a voice for all those affected. In order to do this however, we rely almost entirely on voluntary donations, so we are very grateful for Anthony’s efforts and delighted that he enjoyed the experience. The funds he has raised will help children like Oliver throughout the UK.”
You can still support Anthony’s Great North Run challenge by going to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/a-mcguinness
For more information on CLDF visit childliverdisease.org.
