Nick Clarke has been in touch with us to share his story and let us know he’ll be raising money for LDUK on behalf of his wife, Sophie, who lives with Lyme disease. You can sponsor him via his Virgin Money Giving page.
Thank you to Nick, James and Beth – best of luck!
I’ve been into sport from a young age. I always loved football, tennis, athletics and cross country running, but all this stopped when I was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
I was determined to beat it. Even though the cancer had spread to my stomach, the chemotherapy worked and I recovered, but not without my energy being zapped.
This motivated me to start entering sporting challenges to keep healthy, and I was then introduced to the world of triathlons. I fell in love with them: pushing my body hard, enjoying the buzz, and the sense of achievement after crossing the finish line.
Whilst searching for my next triathlon I came across Castle to Coast which is a half Ironman and looked very intriguing but difficult! I didn’t want to do it alone, so I asked my brother, James, and my niece, Beth, who are both very active and enjoy doing triathlons. Thankfully they agreed!
We are taking part in this charity event in honour of my wife, Sophie, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2017.
Sophie has struggled with Lyme disease for many years now and hasn’t made much progress in her recovery thus far. After numerous tests she found out she had co-infections and other issues alongside Lyme, and is trying to juggle managing her health problems and working at the same time.
She is my inspiration to do this challenge.
James, Beth and I might have a few aches and pains after a day of training, but it’s nothing compared to what Sophie struggles with 24/7. She always soldiers on and pushes through her day. So, when we are struggling through our challenge we will think of Sophie and all the other people living with Lyme, and do our best to persevere.