Son taking part in marathon after Doncaster dad was diagnosed with dementia

Runners all over the region are preparing to pound the pavements of the capital in aid of causes close to their hearts.
Andrew Jarvis, formerly of Skellow.Andrew Jarvis, formerly of Skellow.
Andrew Jarvis, formerly of Skellow.

Former Doncaster resident Andrew Jarvis, who now lives in Adstock in Buckinghamshire, will not only be running in the London Marathon, but he’s also going to be following that up with two further challenges.

Four weeks after the marathon, Andrew will be doing a 300-mile Padbury-to-Paris bike ride before, two weeks later, donning his backpack and trekking the 86 miles of Hadrian’s Wall.

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Andrew, aged 42, is taking on the gruelling ordeals in aid of Alzheimer’s UK, after his father, Trevor, who lives in Skellow, was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2001, at the age of 60.

Andrew said: “He’s a resilient chap, so rather than letting it beat him, he decided to campaign to raise the profile of the disease and to improve the life of those living with it.

“Over the last 14 years, he has helped train undergraduates and experienced medical staff, met celebrities, politicians and hundreds of volunteers, been awarded an honorary doctorate and a British Empire Medal and raised significant funds for research.

“While doing all of this, he’s continued to be a great husband, dad and grandad.

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“We are lucky that so far the illness has not beaten him and that we still have the man we all love.

“Please donate so that research can continue into finding a cure for those who are not so lucky.”

He added: “Dad would have done it (the marathon) but he’s too busy inspiring people through his talks. And he didn’t want to embarrass me by beating my time.

“It occurred to me that perhaps running the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon wouldn’t be enough to inspire you lovely people to donate.

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“So, four weeks after completing the marathon I’m going to beg my tired legs to pedal me all the way from Padbury to Paris with a group of friends, a distance of over 300 miles in three days.

“For those of you who still don’t feel I’m punishing myself enough for this good cause, two weeks later I’ll be donning my walking boots, throwing on my backpack and trekking the 86 miles of Hadrian’s Wall with another couple of friends.

“Hopefully that’s whet your appetitie for the important stuff, the reason for undertaking these challenges. Either through Dad or me, you will know that following a stroke in 2001, he was diagnosed with Early Onset Dementia at the age of 60.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Andrew can do so via Donate

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