A man living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is set to make history when he becomes the first wheelchair-user to set the pace at an annual run.
Former marathon runner David Baker was diagnosed with MND in July 2023.
But he doesn’t let his diagnosis stand in the way of his passion, regularly taking part in charity walks and runs with the help of his wife and carer, Alice, who pushes him in a specially-adapted wheelchair.
And in their latest show of inspiration, the pair will set the pace at this year’s Great South Run in Portsmouth.
“She’s my rock,” Mr Baker, from Southampton, told the BBC.
“She’s an absolute machine. I’m very grateful that she can do that for me and it keeps me involved in the sport.”
The pair hope their team-effort approach to the event will inspire others to do the same.
“We’ve done lots of practice and we think we’ve got it down,” Mrs Baker said.
Former marathon runner David Baker and his team
|
JUSTGIVING
The couple keep a blog about their life with MND, entitled “MND Can Get In The Sea, which they described as “very honest, sad, happy, but real”.
Mr Baker said: “I went from running marathons to getting slower and slower, to running parkruns, to walking parkruns.”
However, 18 months ago, the pair started assisted running together, and they have since taken part in more than 50 parkruns.
The pair said they were inspired by former Rugby League player, Rob Burrow, who died in 2024 aged 41 after being diagnosed with MND five years earlier.
LATEST STORIES HIGHLIGHTING THE BEST OF BRITAIN
David Baker updates his blog regulaly with his progress
|
MND CAN GET IN THE SEA
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.