Latest news with #CysticFibrosisTrust
Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Telegraph
I rowed from Lanzarote to Antigua at age of 70 – this is what it was like
Bad weather, technical issues, exhaustion… Janine Williams and her crew-mates experienced a plethora of challenges on their 3,200-mile row from Lanzarote to Antigua, but she is unequivocal about the worst one. 'What I hated most was being on deck at night when there was no moon,' she reflects, a few weeks after reaching the finish line. 'I hated that shift. It was pitch black so you couldn't see what the waves were doing and I was in constant fear that I would injure my body.' Yet it was also a night-time shift that provided the highlight of her 53 days at sea. On this occasion there was a full moon, phosphorescence glistening in the water, a shooting star in the sky and an electric storm on the horizon. 'It was magic, amazing,' she says. 'I'd never had an experience like that.' Rowing across the Atlantic is a tough task for anyone but what makes Williams' feat even more impressive is her age. On reaching Antigua, the 70-year-old became the oldest woman to ever row an ocean. Williams is keen to push back against the idea that people should slow down as they get older, and having spent much of her life on the water, either sailing dinghies or rowing in Celtic longboats off the coast of Pembrokeshire, she had often been asked about taking part in an Atlantic row. When it was proposed again three years ago by a team-mate at Neyland Rowing Club, she decided to bite the bullet. 'People over the years had said, 'Do you fancy doing the Atlantic?' and I just thought it would be horribly difficult and uncomfortable, but this time I thought, 'If I don't do it now, I won't ever do it',' she says. 'I just happen to be the oldest woman to do it – that wasn't the reason for doing it, I did it because I wanted to. 'Probably the best piece of it is seeing people's reactions and how older and younger people are really inspired by an older person doing something like that. If I'm able to inspire other women to carry on doing amazing things they didn't think they could do, that is cool. 'Something in society gives us the message, especially women, that we should slow down as we get older, but there is no reason to do that as long as you're sensible and careful. I'm part of a healthy-ageing research project and that shows the importance of keeping active.' Williams was not the only person to set a record among her crew: Sophie Pierce, 32, became the first person with cystic fibrosis to row an ocean. With 24-year-old Miyah Periam and Polly Zipperlen, 50, completing the foursome, who have raised £20,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Paul Sartori Hospice at Home and Emily's Entourage, there was a wide range of ages taking part. However, the physical struggles they each experienced were similar, including muscle wastage from not being able to walk for more than 50 days, and weight loss. Yet the toll the row has taken has not put septuagenarian Williams off undertaking another long-distance challenge. She is already planning to take on a EuroVelo route, which involves cycling nearly 3,000 miles from the Atlantic coast in France to the Black Sea in Romania. The expression 'age is but a number' has never felt more apt.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oxford man prepares to run eighth London Marathon in support of sister
An Oxford man is preparing to run his eighth London Marathon in support of his sister, who has an incurable, life-limiting condition. Nick Brodie, 38, will move one step closer to reaching his target of completing the marathon 10 times to raise awareness of cystic fibrosis when he takes part on Sunday, April 27. His sister, Philippa, 40, has the genetic condition, which affects more than 11,300 people in the UK. Nick Brodie will run his eight London Marathon this weekend (Image: Cystic Fibrosis Trust) People with cystic fibrosis suffer from a range of symptoms affecting the entire body. Mr Brodie has raised more than £22,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust over the years, and has received £1,540 in donations online so far this year. He said: "I ran my first London Marathon in 2011. I wasn't a keen runner, but I did well, and I raised about £5,000. "The training for that race was really challenging, and I remember being very emotional and getting halfway when my legs started seizing up. Nick Brodie and his sister Philippa (Image: Cystic Fibrosis Trust) Nick Brodie and his sister Philippa (Image: Cystic Fibrosis Trust) "If I wasn't doing it for Cystic Fibrosis Trust I probably would have stopped, but I pushed through and made it to the finish line." Speaking about this year's race, he added: "It's an incredible event and it's so emotional, you can really feel the individual stories of all the runners. "Philippa is hoping to come along with my nephew this year." Philippa said: "I'm really proud that he has done this and raised so much money. "It's a crazy achievement, both the number of marathons he's done, and the money that he's raised for cystic fibrosis.'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Swimming mirrors my cystic fibrosis treatment'
A man who was told he would not live until 30 is to celebrate his birthday doing a lake swimming challenge. Adam Ball, who lives with cystic fibrosis which affects his ability to breathe, will swim the length of 13 lakes in the Lake District over the summer. Mr Ball, who is from South Shields, said swimming did "wonders for his lungs" and the sport had an "uncanny resemblance" to his treatment. "To get to my 30th birthday and feel like I'm in a good position with my cystic fibrosis, I wanted to do something to celebrate that with a purpose," he added. Cystic fibrosis is the most common inherited life-threatening condition in the UK. It affects the ability of cells to transport salt and water, which can cause sticky mucous to build up. It can affect several organs but especially the lungs and the digestive system. Mr Ball was diagnosed with the condition from birth, which he said "always had its challenges" but he has had "amazing support" from his parents and Newcastle RVI. "When I was born, my parents were told life expectancy was 30, so getting to this age potentially wasn't going to be the case." Mr Ball said along with taking 70 pills and other nebulizers, one of treatments had been a positive expiratory pressure mask, which creates pressure to rid mucus from his lungs. "Using the mask alone would take an hour and a half on a daily basis," he said. "But with swimming, I've found it has an uncanny resemblance to the mask. "After I swim, it just feels so nice on your lungs and it's easier to breathe." He said taking a so-called "miracle drug" Kaftrio had "enabled him to get the most out of life" too. Mr Ball will aim to swim across all 13 publicly accessible lakes in the Lake District, covering a total of 71km (44 miles) while raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis Trust. He said he could become the first person with the condition to complete the challenge. "It's almost as if I've been training for this challenge my entire life from having the PEP mask. He said swimming brought him "so much joy". "It's the one thing where you just switch off from everything and it's so therapeutic." Vanessa Newton, from Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said Mr Ball's challenge was "incredible". "Money raised helps us provide emotional, physical, and financial support to everyone with cystic fibrosis and their families, fund lifesaving research, and work towards a future free from the limits of cystic fibrosis." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Swimmer completes 13 lakes in three days I thought I'd die by 30, now I'm rowing the Atlantic Access to cystic fibrosis drugs approved in England Cystic Fibrosis Trust
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
South Shields man with cystic fibrosis to swim Lakes challenge
A man who was told he would not live until 30 is to celebrate his birthday doing a lake swimming Ball, who lives with cystic fibrosis which affects his ability to breathe, will swim the length of 13 lakes in the Lake District over the summer. Mr Ball, who is from South Shields, said swimming did "wonders for his lungs" and the sport had an "uncanny resemblance" to his treatment."To get to my 30th birthday and feel like I'm in a good position with my cystic fibrosis, I wanted to do something to celebrate that with a purpose," he added. Cystic fibrosis is the most common inherited life-threatening condition in the affects the ability of cells to transport salt and water, which can cause sticky mucous to build can affect several organs but especially the lungs and the digestive system. Mr Ball was diagnosed with the condition from birth, which he said "always had its challenges" but he has had "amazing support" from his parents and Newcastle RVI."When I was born, my parents were told life expectancy was 30, so getting to this age potentially wasn't going to be the case."Mr Ball said along with taking 70 pills and other nebulizers, one of treatments had been a positive expiratory pressure mask, which creates pressure to rid mucus from his lungs. "Using the mask alone would take an hour and a half on a daily basis," he said."But with swimming, I've found it has an uncanny resemblance to the mask. "After I swim, it just feels so nice on your lungs and it's easier to breathe." He said taking a so-called "miracle drug" Kaftrio had "enabled him to get the most out of life" too. 'So much joy' Mr Ball will aim to swim across all 13 publicly accessible lakes in the Lake District, covering a total of 71km (44 miles) while raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis said he could become the first person with the condition to complete the challenge."It's almost as if I've been training for this challenge my entire life from having the PEP mask. He said swimming brought him "so much joy"."It's the one thing where you just switch off from everything and it's so therapeutic." Vanessa Newton, from Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said Mr Ball's challenge was "incredible"."Money raised helps us provide emotional, physical, and financial support to everyone with cystic fibrosis and their families, fund lifesaving research, and work towards a future free from the limits of cystic fibrosis." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
London Marathon: The Sussex runners taking on the 26.2 mile course
Three determined Sussex runners have shared their different reasons for taking part in the London than 56,000 people are expected to take on the 26.2 mile (42.2 km) course on route passes Cutty Sark and Canary Wharf before finishing on The Mall, close to Buckingham Malloy, Bethany Wood and Jon Carter explain what motivates them to take on the challenge. Becki Malloy Becki Malloy, from Horsham, will be running the London Marathon for the National Brain Appeal. Her father was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at the age of 52 and she carries the same gene, which means she is very likely to develop the disease at a similar said: "Running the London Marathon was on my bucket list so I took the crazy leap to do it."It was devastating when I found out what had happened to my dad but at the time I was quite naive, I thought it was an older person's disease."He couldn't remember me but he was still there."He father passed way last year. Ms Malloy says she hopes the money raised will help University College London to find a cure and support people when a diagnosis is has previously completed half marathons but said the training has been "a lot harder" than she thought it would be."I've chafed in places I never thought I would," she said. Ms Malloy said the training takes over "everything", adding: "I can't say I'll be running another one too soon afterwards." Bethany Wood Bethany Wood decided to run for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as she has the condition. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition, causing the body's organs fill up with mucus, often with the lungs being affected the most. She wants to show people with cystic fibrosis that "life can go on and you can still go and do amazing things".Ms Wood said: "It also affects your pancreas, so a large number of people with cystic fibrosis also have diabetes as they don't have insulin like the standard person." The London Marathon will be Ms Wood's 10th marathon in just 10 mother-of-two says it is part of a big legacy challenge she is undertaking."I think my body will be screaming at me by the London Marathon," she said."I can't wait to finish and get home and take my shoes off and have a glass of wine for the first time in 10 months. I also can't wait to run a 5k in my local park."This is her second London first time she completed it, she gave the medal to her eldest says she will be giving this medal to her other daughter. Jon Carter Jon Carter is running to support his son, Ethan, who has arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), a rare congenital condition affecting joint said the charity he is supporting - Whizz Kidz - has changed his family's said: "My son has been a in a wheelchair since he was born. "He is an absolutely amazing character and so persevering, but I want to show him through hard work you can achieve more than you expect."The charity has provided his son with an electric wheelchair, which he is able to control himself, meaning he does not people to push him around anymore. Mr Carter admitted that he "doesn't like running".He said: "I'm really pushing myself to do this."Audio books have helped me a lot through my long runs in training. "It's been hard work. I'll probably collapse when I have finished but we have planned to have a fish and chip dinner as a treat when we get home."
