London’s Air ambulance has been serving London for nearly 30 years and the advances we have made in that time have influenced the outcomes for many thousands of Londoners who have been injured. The advances we make now are often marginal gains that take a lot of time, money and hard work, but are the difference between life and death or major rather than minor lasting disability for some of our patients.  As one of the
senior doctors working for the service I see this every day, every time the bell goes and we race against time to get to someone who needs our help.

We need your help to help us raise more money to enable us to make the marginal gains that will affect every one of our patients outcomes and enable us to help more people every day.

As with everything we do – the team that make up Londons Air Ambulance is what makes us the service we are today. Along with two of our other doctors, a paramedic, a pilot, a firefighter, an ex patient, our chief exec and a few other supporters, I am going to attempt to complete the Marathon des Sables, otherwise known as ‘the toughest footrace on earth’. On 6 April we will fly to Morocco to start a gruelling self sufficient  7 day ‘race’ across the Sahara desert. It will involve at least 250km in up to 50 degree heat with the longest day being more than 85km. It will be the toughest thing I have ever done (if I make it to the end!), and so it seemed a fitting challenge to raise money bearing in mind the challenges that some of our patients and their families have to go through.

Having been training since August last year, the pace has
really ramped up since the start of January! I have just finished my heaviest training week yet by far – 140km in 5 days with only part of the weight we will have to carry and in nowhere near the temperatures of the Sahara, and the enormity of the challenge is very very real right now (as is the pain in my legs!) With 8 weeks of training to go, I’d really really value your support to help get through the final stages of preparation and of course the toughest part being the 'race' itself (not sure it will be so much 'racing' as 'surviving'!!), in order to help make a difference for everyone who lives and visits London everyday. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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